Ademola Lookman faults CAF decision to move AFCON to four-cycle tournament
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has faulted the decision by the Confederation of African Football to move the Africa Cup of Nations from two-year to four-year cycle.
He described the decision as shameful.
The 28-year-old stated this while speaking to Peoples Gazette in Fes on Wednesday, stating that the decision had been made and nothing could be done about it.
“The decision has been made, we can’t really change it,” the 2024 African Player of the Year said. “It is a shame as Africans are not able to get the tournament every two years like we are used to. It is a disappointment.”
Answering a question about the chances of Nigeria winning the AFCON after recording victories in all their three group matches to reach the last 16 with a perfect record, Lookman said the team must maintain its momentum so far in Morocco.
“It is three games that we have won. We want to continue to win the games as we face everybody because if you want to win the tournament we have to face the best team so we are looking forward to the test ahead,” the player told The Gazette.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe had during the pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco announced the decision by the confederation to move the tournament to four-cycle starting from 2028.
Mr Motsepe argued that the decision was necessary for the growth of football in Africa.
“It is unfair for us to put the players in the middle of the fight that we have because their clubs say to them that they don’t want you to go to Africa and they are correct but CAF also needs them for their countries,” Mr Motsepe said.
He added, “So, we are solving this in the first instance for us and secondly our African players and in the third instance, we are going to get so much more money than having the AFCON every two years.”
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