The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the decision in an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, as the continent continues to battle the spread of the disease.
The continental tournament was scheduled to begin on 9 January in Cameroon but will now be played from January 2022.
AFCON dates were changed from the last edition as CAF sought to streamline the tournament with the international calendar, but the 2021 edition was left for January due to the unfavorable mid-year weather conditions in Cameroon.
CAF also confirmed the 2020 African Nations Championship – the biennial tournament for home-based players – will be played next year, having originally been scheduled for April 2020.
