After the election of President Ahmad Ahmad in 2017, one of the reforms that was set was moving the tournament towards the European off-season.
While there were concerns overplaying a tournament of such magnitude in the Northern hemisphere summer period, the decision was welcomed as several of the continent's superstars would be no longer have to juggle their club commitments with international football.
However, with FIFA confirming a new Club World Cup format for 2021 that would host 24 teams instead of the traditional seven during the same period as the tournament in Cameroon, a u-turn is said to have been made.
According to French publication Lequipe, a decision was made at the CAF executive committee in Cairo last week, after staging just one tournament with the new dates during Egypt 2019.
The report further claimed one of the factors behind the shock decision was the torrential rain of Cameroon during June and July that may have adverse effects on playing conditions.
"The club world cup will be played from June 17 to July 4, it seems impossible to organize an AFCON in August, for example, or in April," a CAF Executive Committee member revealed to the publication.
"European clubs would not accept it. At the calendar level, so it remains only January and February because there will be FIFA dates for qualifying for the World Cup 2022."