CAF Reverses Course: AFCON Set to Return Every Two Years
CAF’s Executive Committee has unanimously decided that AFCON will again be held every two years, with editions in 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033, Patrice Motsepe said.
Photo: UAE News Agency
The Africa Cup of Nations will once again be held every two years. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dropped its plan to stage the tournament once every four years, saying in an official statement that its Executive Committee reached the decision unanimously.
The reversal follows a review of the format adopted last year. CAF President Patrice Motsepe had already hinted in October that the governing body would reconsider the four-year model, pointing to financial concerns during a CAF strategic meeting held in Cape Verde from October 7 to 9.
Doubts over the African Nations League
Under the abandoned plan, a new competition called the African Nations League was meant to take over as CAF’s biennial event and eventually replace the AFCON. CAF acknowledged that the proposed league would need several years before it could generate the revenue required to support African football.
Motsepe said those estimates weighed heavily on the review. The time needed for the new competition to produce significant financial returns, he said, cast doubt on CAF’s goal of making its tournaments globally competitive and financially independent.
In the body’s statement, the CAF president explained the reasoning behind the reinstatement:
“The decision by the Executive Committee to reinstate the organisation of the Afcon every two years aims to advance, protect and promote the interests of African football and the 54 Caf Member Associations, as well as those of African players playing for clubs outside the continent.”
CAF also stressed the tournament’s financial importance for developing the game across the continent, describing it as a showcase of the diversity, traditions and footballing heritage found throughout Africa.
Editions set for 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033
The next tournament goes ahead as planned in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first occasion on which the three East African nations will organise the competition together. Further editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033.
No AFCON will be held in 2030. Motsepe said the three-year gap between the 2028 and 2031 editions avoids a clash with the 2030 World Cup, in line with FIFA’s tradition of not staging continental national-team finals in a World Cup year.
The two-year rhythm has long strained the international calendar, with most recent editions played in the middle of the European club season. The expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, held in June and July last year, also pushed CAF towards mid-season dates.
The most recent edition, in 2025, ended with Senegal lifting the trophy, before the title was stripped from them three months later and awarded to Morocco.
