The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will continue to be held every two years, reversing an earlier plan to switch the tournament to a four-year cycle.
The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee, bringing the continent’s flagship football competition back to its traditional format after proposals to extend the interval between editions.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe explained that the move followed a review of plans to introduce an Africa Nations League, which had been intended to serve as Africa’s major biennial competition. However, CAF concluded that the proposed tournament would require considerable time to generate the financial resources needed to strengthen African football and ensure the long-term sustainability of its competitions.
According to Motsepe, the decision was made with the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations, and African players competing abroad in mind.
“The decision by the CAF EXCO that the CAF 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,” he said.
The next AFCON tournament will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027. Subsequent editions are scheduled for 2029, 2031 and 2033, while the 2030 edition will not be held in order to avoid a clash with the FIFA World Cup.
Motsepe expressed confidence in the success of the 2027 tournament, describing AFCON as a vital platform for celebrating African football, culture and unity.
The decision represents a major adjustment to CAF’s competition calendar and ensures that Africa’s premier national team tournament remains a biennial event.
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