The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released a series of updated operational regulations for all participating nations in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Morocco this December These protocols are designed to ensure the smooth logistical and sporting execution of the tournament.
Key stipulations include:
Final Squad Submission: National football federations are required to submit their final tournament squad lists no later than ten (10) days prior to the competition’s opening match. Failure to comply with this deadline will result in a financial penalty of ten thousand US dollars ($10,000).
Travel Squad Limit for Domestic Movement: For all intra-city travel by air, road, or rail during the tournament, each team will be permitted to include a maximum of eighteen (18) players from their official squad.
Match City Travel Itineraries: Specific travel windows have been established based on destination. Teams scheduled to play matches involving a move between Rabat and Casablanca will travel in the morning of the match day. For travel to all other cities, teams may relocate one day prior to their fixture.
Countries anticipated to undertake inter-city travel during the group stage, as per the match schedule, include: Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Botswana, DR Congo, Benin, Mozambique, Cameroon, Gabon, Comoros, Mali, Zambia, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Equatorial Guinea.
Stadium Access Prior to Matches: Teams will not be permitted to conduct full training sessions at the match venue on the day preceding a game. Access for stadium familiarization will be restricted to a designated visitation window between 2pm and 9pm local time, subject to prior approval from CAF.
These regulations have been communicated to all qualified member associations to facilitate advanced planning and compliance.