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The AFCON tournament will hold a week later due to Ramadan

Egyptian representatives pose with their national flag as they celebrate the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee's decision to choose Egypt to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) between June 15 and July 13, in an Hotel in Dakar on January 8, 2019. - The CAF executive committee preferred Egypt to South Africa as replacements for original hosts Cameroon, who were dropped due to delays in preparations and concerns over security. It will be the fifth time Egypt stage the biennial showpiece of African football after 1959, when the country was called the United Arab Republic, 1974, 1986 and 2006. (Photo by SEYLLOU / AFP)

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in June and July has been pushed back by a week to cater for the holy month of Ramadan, the tournament’s chief has reported.

The four-week long event will now run from June 21-July 19 instead of June 15-July 13, said Mohamed Fadl, a former player who has been handed the task of supervising the continental showpiece by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).

“The Confederation of African Football has officially informed us of the postponement (of the original dates),” said told Fadl.

“The decision was taken following requests from the Maghreb countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria who want their players to have time to rest after the end of Ramadan.”

Ramadan, in which Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, will this year be observed from the start of May until the beginning of June.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will for the first time this year take place in the summer and feature 24 teams rather than sixteen.

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