Ghana football legend Asamoah Gyan has compared the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to the FIFA World Cup, highlighting the tournament’s immense value and emotional significance for African players.

Although AFCON remains the continent’s biggest football competition, it has frequently attracted criticism due to its scheduling, as the tournament is often staged in the middle of the European club season.

Speaking in an interview with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, Gyan, who represented Ghana in multiple AFCON tournaments, described the competition as the ultimate stage for African footballers.

“Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is like a World Cup to me,” the former Sunderland striker said.

Gyan used the opportunity to call on football authorities to reconsider the timing of the tournament, suggesting it be moved to the European off-season to reduce its impact on clubs.

“It is something I have thought about all these years because it affects most of the clubs with African players. I believe it should get to a time that FIFA or CAF should make a decision that it should be played off-season,” he explained.

The Black Stars legend pointed out that clubs often suffer when key players leave in January for AFCON duty, which can affect league form and results.

“You can see clubs at the top of the league table, and their players leave for AFCON in January, and they start dropping points. However, AFCON is like a World Cup to me, and that is what every African footballer thinks,” Gyan added.

As Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, Gyan featured in the 2010 and 2015 AFCON finals, losing to Egypt and Ivory Coast respectively, and finishing as a runner-up on both occasions.

Meanwhile, the 2025 AFCON final will be contested by Morocco and Senegal on Sunday, January 18.