Adegboye Onigbinde, the former FIFA and CAF instructor has thrown his weight behind the plan of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to increase the number of participating countries at the Africa Cup of Nations from 16 to 24.
CAF are holding a two-day symposium on the development of African football in Rabat, Morocco where the plans could be ratified.
Onigbinde who was coach of the Nigerian national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan spoke exclusively with Completesportsnigeria.com on Tuesday on the CAF’s deliberations.
“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,” Oniginde 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 though 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,” Onigbinde posited.
