Dr. Kachi Nwoga has thrown his support behind the proposed new dates for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, billed for Morocco, Silvernews.com.ng reports. 

According to reports, an agreement has been reached between Morocco and FIFA on the proposed date for next year's African Cup of Nations in Morocco from July 23 to August 21, following the Clubs World Cup tournament scheduled for June 15 to July 13, 2025.

Nwoga commended CAF for aligning with the world football calendar noting that it would impact significantly on African players and the continent at large. 

The sports stakeholder added that CAF will thus attract more sponsorship ranging from TV rights, more visibility and healthier competition among participating countries as a result of the adjustment.

Nwoga went further to decry that staging the AFCON during the regular season when European top leagues are ongoing has also affected African players negatively in the past. 

His words: We feel good each time any of these things happen they way they should happen. Remember the time we were agitating and these were part of the complaints we used against Issa Hayatou, when we said he was running a calender that was working against African players. 

"You don't bring your best together in such a way that they begin to struggle between fulfilling their national or continental obligations, versus maintaining their jobs in which they are competing with their fellows from other continents. 

"Finally I give kudos to CAF for eventually doing the responsible thing which is to put our calendar to allign with the world football calendar. It is fulfilling after years of screaming ourselves hoarse. 

"We also championed this type of battle when we also fought the then Nigerian league. When that NPF League started, we almost didn't have a calendar. It could start any month and end any month and break for months, and we were worrying, shouting and screaming that by the time you finish your league, which competition are you going to enter? For some reason in Nigeria, many things don't happen the way they should happen but eventually things got better. For this development in CAF, I'm truly pleased for African foot ball and like we always say 'its better late than never.' "

"Yes, it has affected African players. You remember Didier Drogba, who came back once and went back and somehow that was the end of his active career in Chelsea, which was the last time he actually did something spectacular in football. There are lot's of them like that. 

"In every thing, there is a competition with a postion. For every position you have, there is a substitute for that position and once you leave, that person fills it.

"For some of our players, who are struggling to fit in their teams especially those who play from the bench want more playing opportunities in their clubs to be able to make their marks. 

"It has affected Africa negatively. It doesn't make us be the best. It affects the TV rights. Sometime you will play an AFCON with an EPL match on this same day. That is an unhealthy competition. 

"But you can put your AFCON, which they have done now by the time the premier league and the major leagues in Europe are over so that your players are free, the TV rights is there. And the whole world will now watch AFCON because there is nothing else to watch. I thank God that this very logical, common-sensical situation has eventually come into CAF."