The dates for the 2019 African Nations Cup finals in Egypt have been moved back by a week, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Monday.
The shift was reportedly done, so as to allow players rest after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is said to likely commence on the evening of May 5 and end around June 4.
Muslims observe fast during daylight hours over this period, which can have an effect on the performance of athletes.
The expanded 24-team tournament will now kick-off on June 21 al through to July 19.
A meeting of the CAF Emergency Committee took the decision on Saturday, with the governing body confirming the shift in a circular sent to its member associations.
According to media reports, a request was made for the move by a number of mainly Muslim North African countries, including Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, who have all already qualified for the tournament.
CAF also confirmed that the draw for the first round pool stage will take place in Cairo on April 12.
Fourteen countries have already booked their places at the competition, including first time participants Madagascar and Mauritania. The remaining 10 places will be decided when the qualification campaign is concluded in March.
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