CAF reverses move of Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle

Decision overturned unanimously

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will retain its two-year cycle. The Executive Committee unanimously approved the reversal of last year's decision to move to a four-year format, Anadolu reports. The reason for the reconsideration was an analysis of plans to launch a new tournament — the African National League.

Why the previous format was restored

According to CAF's assessment, the new pan-African competition would have needed several years to generate revenue sufficient for developing African football and achieving the financial self-sufficiency of continental tournaments. The organization's president, Patrice Motsepe, explained that the decision was made to protect the interests of the continent's football community, the 54 associations belonging to CAF, and African players who play for clubs abroad. He also noted that the organization was concerned about how many years it would take for the new league — conceived as an analogue of the current AFCON, held every two years — before it could make a significant financial and sporting contribution and make CAF tournaments competitive at the global level.

Calendar and background

The next Africa Cup of Nations in 2027 will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda; further tournaments are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033. Motsepe clarified that there will be no edition in 2030, so as not to coincide with the World Cup. CAF announced plans to move AFCON to a four-year cycle in December 2025, and the decision drew criticism within African football. Earlier this month, at a strategic conference in Cape Verde, Motsepe said the organization would reconsider the change — and that reconsideration has now taken place.