African Championship of Nations

Infobox sports league
current_season=2009 African Championship of Nations
logo=
sport=Football
founded=2007
teams=8
continent=Africa (CAF)
champion=

The African Championship of Nations is a football tournament which was announced on 11 September 2007 [BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/6990333.stm New tournament for Africa] , 11 September 2007] It will be administered by CAF and will be competed for between the best national teams of Africa, exclusively featuring players who are active in the national championships and qualified to play the ongoing season. Expatriate players, regardless of where they play, even in Africa, cannot be qualified to take part in this new African Championship of Nations.

The first tournament will be in 2009 [Goal.com, [http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=411696 CAF Launches New African Championship] ] . The first hosts will be Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The tournament will be held every two years, alternating with the African Cup of Nations. The qualifying phase will take place every even year and the final every odd year.

Tournament Formation

The creation of the African Nations Championship responds to the desire to revive or strengthen national competitions regularly weakened by a mass exodus of top players and others who leave less good also to destinations far less remunerative and media.

CAF hopes that the players in their national competitions can experience the joy of the selection and have the opportunity to integrate one day the selection for the African Nations Cup.

This also means that Africa continues football without its own playing expatriates and national competitions that may be losing ground everywhere on the continent can improve in quality and with popularity stakes.

Competitors

Qualifying games are played between nations in each group. One home leg and one away leg. This is to allow domestic players to gain more international experience.

The eight finalists will be determined the following way:
*Winner of North Zone
*Winner of West A Zone
*Winner of West B Zone
*Winner of Centre Zone
*Winner of East Zone
*Winner and the runner-up of South Zone
*Host Country of the final tournament [CAF Online: [http://www.cafonline50.com/?lng=1&module=media&idrub=94572&idnews=82011 New Competition launched : African Championship of Nations] ]

Tournament Format

Only one team can qualify for the tournament from each group, the exception is the South Zone where 2 teams are allowed to qualify. The competition hosts automatically qualify. In total 8 nations will compete in the full tournament.

Once qualified for the competition there will be two Pools A and B drawn at random - each team will have four nations who play each other once in the group.

The 3rd and 4th placed teams in both groups are eliminated.

The winner of group A will play runner up of group BThe winner of group B will play runner up of group A

A third place play off will be played between the two nations who lost the semi final ties.

The final will played between the winners of the semi final ties.

Results

ee also

* List of football (soccer) competitions

External links

* [http://www.cafonline.com/?lng=1&module=media&ANC=&TNews=1&cmpt=0&idrub=96494&idnews=82897 Confédération Africaine de Football]
* [http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/093/article_56416.asp Explanation of format (french)]

References