Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde has expressed full support for the planned expansion of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 16 participating countries to 24. The Former FIFA and CAF instructor stated this while reacting to plans by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to organize a 2-day symposium on African Football in Morocco where the plan will be presented for ratification.
Complete Sports quoted him as saying “the CAF decision is a good one. It will help the growth of African football and ensure that more countries take part in the AFCON”
Commenting on the duration of the tournament, he said “...as for whether the Africa Cup of Nations should hold every two or four years, that is a difficult one. The emphasis should be more on development. If these ideas will aid development of the sport in Africa, then I’m in support of it."
“I feel the four year period is better because it allows for better preparations. You know that younger players will make the transition from youth teams to the senior national teams in the space of four years for instance. A four-year period will help developmental programmes. Competitions are basically for the assessment of development programmes.”
