CAF reverts to biennial AFCON

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reverted to its original Africa Cup of Nations tournament every two years, quashing its earlier decision to introduce a quadrennial tournament after next year’s edition to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

CAF executive committee met and unanimously decided that the AFCON will return to taking place every two years as per its tradition.

The President of CAF, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, announced at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde, which was held from October 7-9, 2026, that the CAF EXCO would be reassessingg and reconsidering the decision it took lastyear, for the AFCON to take place every four years.

This reassessment and reconsideration were necessitated by, among other matters, the recognition that the proposed new African Nations League Pan-African competition, which was supposed to replace the current AFCON and take place every two years, would require several years in order to be in a position to contribute the substantial financial resources necessary for the CAF competitions and African football to be globally competitive and self-supporting.

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.”

After next year’s 36th AFCON, subsequent tournaments will take place in 2028, 2031, and 2033.

The forthcoming FIFA World Cup will take place in 2030 and, in accordance with 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.

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