Caf President Ahmad Ahmad opens the two-day symposium on the future of the continental game
The Africa Cup of Nations could be moved to the summer as part of changes being discussed by the continent’s ruling body.
The Nations Cup’s timing in January and February has long angered clubs in Europe, where many Africans play.
The biennial finals could also be boosted from 16 teams to 24.
“That is the first thing to talk about – we can’t get away from it,” said Ahmad, Confederation of African Football President.
“We have already had a lot of suggestions,” he added in his opening address at a two-day symposium on the continental game’s future in Morocco.
An unprecedented number of players turned down call-ups for this year’s tournament in Gabon to stay with their clubs.
This included seven Cameroonians who refused to turn out for the team that eventually won the title.
Every two years, a club-versus-country row breaks out as European clubs complain about losing players during a crucial stage of the season to the Nations Cup.
Compounding the clubs’ concerns is the fact that their players often come back fatigued from Africa’s flagship sporting event.
A move to a tournament in June and July is also set to be discussed in the Moroccan capital Rabat – as is the less likely possibility of staging the final every four, rather than two, years.
Ahmad also wants to review rules on hosting the finals, which are proving increasingly prohibitive and reducing the number of potential candidates.
He has already suggested that co-hosting would allow Caf to consider proposals to increase the number of teams at the finals to 24.
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