Skipper Hakimi declared fit for Morocco's AFCON opener vs Comoros

The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco on Sunday, with the hosts desperate to get their hands on the trophy in a tournament crammed awkwardly into football's packed calendar.

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The Morocco captain's Achraf Hakimi race to overcome injury and the club future of Egyptian icon Mohamed Salah will dominate headlines around this edition of the AFCON, which runs until January 18.

Yet again, a Cup of Nations is not taking place at the time initially intended, after recent editions were moved due to clashes with the West African rainy season, the pandemic, conflicts or an Ebola outbreak.

The introduction of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup last June and July forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to push back its flagship tournament.

They could not wait until next June because of the World Cup, and they can no longer stage the Cup of Nations in January and February because of the new UEFA Champions League format.

The solution is to start in December and continue into the New Year, at a time when many European leagues - where so many African stars play - are taking a break.

The exception, of course, is the Premier League which operates a packed schedule throughout the Christmas period.