Fakayejo Paul
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee has unanimously confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to its traditional two-year cycle, officially scrapping previous plans to transition into a four-year format.
Speaking on the landmark decision, CAF President Patrice Motsepe cited financial sustainability and the commercial growth of African football as the driving forces behind the U-turn.
Key Takeaways & Tournament Schedule
- Official Schedule:Future AFCON editions are officially scheduled for 2027 (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania), 2028, 2031, and 2033.
- World Cup Rule Maintained:No AFCON will take place in 2030, aligning with CAF and FIFA traditions that prohibit continental tournaments from overlapping with FIFA World Cup years.
- Nations League Abandoned:CAF’s proposed Africa Nations League project—initially designed to replace biennial AFCONs—has been permanently shelved after internal reviews concluded it would take too long to generate sufficient commercial revenue.
What Patrice Motsepe Said
“The decision by the CAF EXCO that AFCON should take place every two years was based on advancing, protecting, and promoting the interests of African Football and CAF’s 54 Member Associations… The proposed Nations League would not have generated the necessary financial resources required to support African football in the immediate future.”