The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, restoring the tournament’s traditional biennial format less than a year after scrapping it.
CAF’s executive committee had voted in December 2025 to move AFCON to a quadrennial cycle, with a new African Nations League intended to fill the gap as a replacement continental competition held every two years.
However, the governing body has now acknowledged that this proposed league would not be financially viable for a considerable period, lacking the capacity to deliver the substantial revenues needed to keep African football globally competitive and self-sustaining.
The announcement followed a CAF strategy conference held in Cabo Verde from 7 to October 9, where President Patrice Motsepe confirmed the reassessment.
Motsepe explained the executive committee’s concerns centred on the lengthy timeline before the proposed Nations League could make meaningful financial and developmental contributions to the sport across the continent.
“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,” Motsepe said.
The CAF president added that the envisaged pan-African league, designed to mirror the existing AFCON format, would have required years of development before it could generate the income needed for African competitions to stand on their own financially and compete at a global level.
East Africa will host the next edition of the tournament in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda sharing staging duties.
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Further editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033, with no competition planned for 2030 owing to that year’s World Cup, in keeping with the established convention that confederation-level national team tournaments do not clash with football’s showpiece global event.
The return to a two-year cycle will revive familiar tensions with European club football.
AFCON has historically been staged midway through the domestic season in Europe, creating friction with clubs who lose key players for weeks at a time.
Last year’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, held in June and July, further complicated scheduling and compelled CAF to retain mid-season dates for its flagship competition.
Motsepe also emphasised the cultural dimension of the tournament, describing it as a celebration of the continent’s diverse heritage.
He said: “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 president is confident the decision would drive significant growth and development of the game across Africa, insisting it serves the best interests of all 54 member associations.
The reinstatement comes against the backdrop of a recent turbulent chapter for the competition.
The 2025 edition concluded with a dramatic final in which Senegal were declared winners, only to have their title stripped three months later and awarded to Morocco.
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