CAF reverses AFCON Four-Year Plan, restores traditional two-year cycle

 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its earlier decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle, confirming that the continental showpiece will continue to be held every two years.

The decision was unanimously adopted by the CAF Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29, 2026, restoring the tournament’s traditional biennial format.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe had earlier announced at the organisation’s Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held from October 7 through 9, that the Executive Committee would reconsider the decision to stage AFCON every four years.

The previous plan, announced in December 2025, was to move AFCON to a four-year cycle and introduce a new pan-African competition, the Africa Nations League, to fill the gap by providing a biennial tournament.

CAF’s initial decision to move AFCON to a four-year cycle had attracted criticism from various quarters, with stakeholders and football enthusiasts expressing concerns about its potential impact on African football.

However, CAF said the proposed Nations League would require several years to generate the substantial financial resources needed to support the development of African football and make its competitions globally competitive and financially sustainable.

Explaining the decision, Motsepe said: “The decision by the CAF EXCO that the CAF AFCON should take place every Two Years was based on advancing, protecting and promoting the interest of African Football and CAF’s 54 Member Associations, as well as the interest of African players employed by Football Clubs outside Africa.

“We were also concerned by the several years required before the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African competition, (which was supposed to be identical to the current AFCON and take place Every Two Years), could make the substantial financial and football development contributions for African Football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting.

“The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and I am confident that it will be very successful. The subsequent AFCONs thereafter will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033. The forthcoming FIFA World Cup will take place in 2030 and in accordance with the FIFA tradition, the final tournament of the AFCON and other Confederations National Teams competitions may not take place during the year of the FIFA World Cup.

“The AFCON competition is also about celebrating African Football and Africa’s rich and diverse cultures, customs and traditions and bringing people together from Africa’s 54 Countries, the African Diaspora and throughout the world. 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.”

Under the revised calendar, the next AFCON will take place in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda serving as co-hosts.

Subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033, while the tournament will not hold in 2030 because of the FIFA World Cup scheduled for that year.

The reversal marks a significant shift in CAF’s competition strategy, particularly regarding the balance between international football scheduling, commercial sustainability and the development needs of its member associations.

The biennial format has traditionally provided African national teams with regular opportunities to compete for continental honours, while offering host countries opportunities to attract visitors, promote tourism and generate commercial activity.

CAF’s decision therefore preserves AFCON’s established place in the African football calendar while the governing body continues to consider ways of strengthening the financial sustainability and global competitiveness of the game across the continent.