The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its proposed plan to organise the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, announcing that the continental championship will continue to hold every two years.
The decision, unanimously endorsed by the CAF Executive Committee, was disclosed by CAF President Patrice Motsepe after the body's Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held between October 7 and 9, 2026.
The reversal comes after CAF reconsidered its earlier proposal to extend AFCON to a four-year cycle while introducing an Africa Nations League to fill the gap with a biennial competition.
The governing body had argued that the proposed Nations League could provide an alternative source of revenue and strengthen the financial capacity of African football. However, concerns emerged over the time required for the new competition to generate the resources needed to achieve its objectives.
Explaining the decision in a statement published on CAF's website on Friday, Motsepe said the committee prioritised the long-term interests of African football, its 54 member associations and players representing clubs outside the continent.
He said the decision was taken to ensure that CAF's flagship competition continued to make meaningful contributions to the development of the game.
“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,” he said.
Motsepe added that the committee was unwilling to wait several years for the proposed Africa Nations League to become financially sustainable and deliver the anticipated benefits.
According to him, the proposed competition was designed to replicate the existing AFCON format and take place every two years, but its capacity to generate substantial financial returns in the short term remained a concern.
“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,” he stated.
With the latest decision, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the 2027 AFCON, while the subsequent tournaments are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033.
CAF also clarified that the revised calendar would ensure that AFCON does not clash with the FIFA World Cup, particularly the 2030 edition.
Motsepe expressed optimism about preparations for the 2027 championship, saying he was confident that the three East African nations would deliver a successful competition.
“The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and I am confident that it will be very successful,” he said.
He noted that the scheduling arrangement was consistent with the practice of avoiding the final stages of continental national team competitions during World Cup years.
The CAF president also emphasised that AFCON's significance goes beyond football, describing it as an important platform for promoting African identity, cultural diversity and unity.
He said the tournament brings together people from the continent's 54 countries, the African diaspora and other parts of the world.
“The AFCON competition is also about celebrating African Football and Africa’s rich and diverse cultures, customs and traditions and bringing people together from Africa’s 54 Countries, the African Diaspora and throughout the world,” Motsepe said.
He maintained that the decision to retain the biennial format would create more opportunities for football development and strengthen the capacity of member associations.
“The CAF EXCO decision is in the best interest of African Football and CAF’s 54 Member Associations and will also contribute significantly to the development and growth of football in Africa,” he added.
The decision effectively puts an end to CAF's proposed transition to a four-year AFCON cycle, reaffirming the competition's status as the continent's premier national team championship.
It also raises fresh questions about the future structure of the proposed Africa Nations League, which had been conceived as a major component of CAF's plans to reform its international competition calendar.
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