AFCON format: Renard, Desabre push for return to two-year cycle

Ivory Coast head coach Hervé Renard has urged the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to retain the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in its traditional biennial format, insisting that waiting four years between editions would be too long.

Renard’s position comes amid growing opposition to CAF’s decision to move the continent’s flagship football competition to a four-year cycle from 2028, a move that has generated widespread debate among football stakeholders across Africa.

CAF announced the change in December 2025, sparking criticism from federation officials and supporters who argued that the decision could undermine the tournament’s significance and its place in the African football calendar.

However, CAF president Patrice Motsepe has recently indicated that the governing body could reconsider the decision, raising the possibility of a return to the traditional arrangement of staging the competition every two years.

A proposal to restore the biennial format is expected to be considered at CAF’s next Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for November 21 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The meeting would provide an opportunity for member associations to revisit the decision announced approximately 11 months earlier.

Renard, who has emerged as a prominent advocate of retaining the existing format, believes the two-year cycle remains the most appropriate arrangement for African football.

The French tactician argued that the tournament should continue to be held every two years, maintaining the tradition that has made AFCON one of the continent’s most important sporting events.

Speaking to Afrik-Foot, Renard said: “I think returning to holding the Africa Cup of Nations every two years is excellent, and that the tournament should continue as it was in the past.

“Holding the tournament every four years is far too long in my view, but that is my personal opinion.”

Renard’s comments reflect concerns among stakeholders who believe a four-year cycle could reduce opportunities for national teams to compete for continental honours and diminish the tournament’s regular impact on African football.

Democratic Republic of Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has also expressed support for retaining the biennial format, adding his voice to calls for CAF to reconsider its position.

The debate has placed the future structure of African international football under renewed scrutiny, with stakeholders weighing the commercial and organisational considerations behind CAF’s decision against the sporting importance of maintaining a regular continental championship.

While a four-year cycle could offer more room in the international football calendar, opponents argue that the traditional format provides more frequent opportunities for teams to compete at the highest level and for players to showcase their abilities.

CAF’s decision to restructure AFCON came alongside the cancellation of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition reserved for players who feature in their domestic leagues across the continent.

The governing body attributed the CHAN decision to concerns about the competition’s economic viability.

The proposed AFCON reversal would therefore represent a significant development in CAF’s approach to organising its major international competitions.

With opposition to the four-year cycle continuing, attention will turn to CAF’s leadership and member associations to determine whether the continent’s premier national-team competition will return to its traditional two-year schedule.

For Renard and other advocates of the biennial format, the argument is straightforward: AFCON is too important to African football to be held only once every four years.