FIFA president Sepp Blatter said a solution to the controversy over the timing of the African Nations Cup finals must be found.

Blatter is keen for the tournament to conform with the international calendar and with most of the other continental championships, which are held every four years and during the off-season of the club competitions.

The head of world soccer's governing body said it was important the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which wants the finals played every other January, considered the condition of their footballers ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

"They have to consider the issue of having African players in the best shape for the World Cup and, to do so, it would be important to take away from them the stress of having to play in a Nations Cup the same year," he told reporters yesterday.

Blatter said the issue would be discussed by FIFA."We should find a different solution," he said.

CAF president Issa Hayatou said he would consider the suggestion but would not change the timing of the event to the middle of the year.

"That would be the end of African football," said Hayatou, who claimed weather conditions across Africa in the middle of the year would not be right for a major tournament.

CAF has already set up its next three finals in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Angola will stage the 2010 finals, the 2012 event will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and 2014 will be played in Libya.