CAF scraps four-year AFCON plan, confirms return to two-year cycle

CAF scraps four-year AFCON plan, confirms return to two-year cycle - AFCON 2025 trophy. (Photo: CAF Media)

CAF Executive Committee unanimously approved the change on Thursday, with President Patrice Motsepe saying the proposed Africa Nations League would take too long to generate the money needed to support African football.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has restored the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to its traditional two-year cycle, reversing a decision made last year to hold the continental tournament every four years.

The CAF Executive Committee unanimously approved the change on Thursday, with President Patrice Motsepe saying the proposed Africa Nations League would take too long to generate the money needed to support African football.

CAF announced the four-year arrangement in December 2025 as part of a wider restructuring of its competitions. Under the original plan, the 2027 and 2028 AFCON tournaments would be followed by a new Africa Nations League from 2029.

The proposed competition, which was supposed to replace the current AFCON and take place every two years, was intended to bring together all 54 national teams in regional groups, with the winners progressing to an overall final. CAF expected the new format to provide additional revenue and reduce its reliance on the AFCON tournament to finance football development across the continent.

The restructuring was also intended to address scheduling difficulties between international football and European club competitions, which regularly lose African players when AFCON takes place during their domestic seasons.

However, Motsepe said CAF had recognised that the proposed Nations League would need several years before it could deliver the financial resources needed to make African competitions globally competitive and financially independent.

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"We were concerned by the several years required before the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African competition ... could make the substantial financial and football development contributions for African Football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting," Motsepe said.

He added that restoring the two-year cycle was in the interests of the continent's 54 member associations and would support the growth of African football.

"The CAF EXCO decision is in the best interest of African Football and CAF’s 54 Member Associations and will also contribute significantly to the development and growth of football in Africa," he said.

The reversal means Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the 2027 AFCON as planned, followed by another edition in 2028. Subsequent tournaments will be held in 2031 and 2033, with no edition scheduled for 2030 because of the FIFA World Cup.