The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will begin discussion today in Morocco on the executive board’s plans to raise the number teams for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 16 to 24. 

New CAF president, Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad has promised during his campaign to increase the number of participating teams in AFCON to 24.

CAF may be toeing the line of World Football governing body, FIFA, which has enlarged the World cup from 32 to 48 teams. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is at the head of a pool of global football administrators and stakeholders who are in Rabat, Morocco for a two –day African Football Symposium starting on Tuesday.

CAF insiders hinted on Monday that the symposium, which will be followed by a CAF Extra-Ordinary General Assembly on Friday, has been put together to ferment robust new ideas and ideals for the transformation of the African game, and serve as a sort of game –changer that will drive the vision of the new CAF leadership that swept into office four months ago.

It was also learnt that a proposal to increase the number of teams at the Africa Cup of Nations finals from 16 to 24 teams, and switch the finals from January to the summer, is one of the key points to be discussed at the symposium and the extra-ordinary general assembly.

Report by Miyen Akiri