(Reuters) – After a turbulent build-up, and still under a cloud of doubt, the Africa Cup of Nations finals gets underway in Cameroon on Sunday but with the tournament’s long-term future in doubt. Africa’s support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to change the frequency of the World Cup to every two years threatens the Cup of Nations, which is already biennial. Africa’s 54 member associations voted unanimously at last year’s congress to back the idea of a more frequent World Cup, but without discussing how it would affect their own tournament on a packed international calendar. Now expanding to 24-teams, the Cup of Nations is proving to be a strain on resources. The Cup of Nations is being played in January because of the heavy mid-year rainy season in Cameroon but will revert back to a June-July slot when Ivory Coast host the next finals in 2023.
