The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle, confirming that the tournament will continue to be held every two years.
CAF announced the decision on Thursday, October 29, following a unanimous vote by its Executive Committee (EXCO).
The reversal comes after CAF President Patrice Motsepe indicated earlier this month that the governing body would reconsider its plans to replace the biennial AFCON with a proposed African Nations League.
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Speaking at CAF’s Strategic Conference in Cape Verde, Motsepe raised concerns about the financial implications of the proposed change, particularly the time it would take for the new competition to generate sufficient revenue to support African football.
CAF said its reassessment was driven, among other considerations, by the recognition that the proposed African Nations League would require several years before it could generate the substantial financial resources needed to make CAF competitions and African football globally competitive and self-sustaining.
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Motsepe said the original decision to move AFCON to a four-year cycle had been reconsidered in the interest of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside the continent.
“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,” Motsepe said.
“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 needed for African football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting.”
The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first time the three East African countries will stage the tournament together.
The competition will then return in 2028, before subsequent editions in 2031 and 2033.
The revised calendar takes account of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. CAF noted that, in line with FIFA’s traditional calendar, the AFCON finals and other confederation-level national team competitions may not be held in a World Cup year.
Motsepe expressed confidence that the 2027 AFCON would be successful and said the competition remained central to celebrating African football and the continent’s cultural diversity.
“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,” he said.
“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 team 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.”
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