CAF Reverses Four-Year AFCON Plan, Restores Biennial Tournament

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, announcing that the tournament will return to its traditional two-year cycle.

The decision was unanimously taken by the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO), according to a statement by the continental football governing body.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe had announced at the organisation’s Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held from October 7 to 9, 2026, that the committee would review its earlier decision to move the tournament to a four-year cycle.

The reversal follows concerns that the proposed Africa Nations League, which was expected to replace the biennial AFCON, would take several years to generate enough revenue to support CAF competitions and football development across the continent.

Motsepe said the decision was taken to protect the interests of African football, the 54 CAF member associations and African players playing for clubs outside the continent.

He explained that the proposed Africa Nations League was expected to provide similar financial and football development benefits as the current AFCON but would need several years before it could achieve that goal.

“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.

Under the revised schedule, the next AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, followed by tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033.

Motsepe explained that the 2030 edition would not hold because the FIFA World Cup is scheduled for that year. He said CAF’s national team competitions would not take place in the same year as the World Cup, in keeping with FIFA’s tradition.

The CAF president expressed confidence that the 2027 tournament, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would be successful.

He also described AFCON as more than a football competition, saying it provides an opportunity to celebrate Africa’s diverse cultures and bring together people from the continent’s 54 countries, the African diaspora and the rest of the world.

Motsepe said the return to a two-year cycle would support the growth of football across Africa and provide greater financial benefits for CAF and its member associations.

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