The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be staged every four years from 2028, ending the tournament’s long-standing biennial format.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe disclosed the decision on the eve of the 35th edition of AFCON, which kicks off on Sunday in Morocco, with the host nation facing Comoros in the opening match.
Motsepe said the 2027 tournament, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would proceed as scheduled. He added that an additional edition would be held in 2028, after which the competition would fully transition to a four-year cycle.
To bridge the gap created by the reduced frequency of its flagship event, CAF will introduce an annual African Nations League from 2029, modelled after Europe’s Nations League.
“Historically, the Nations Cup has been our prime source of revenue, but now we will generate financial resources every year,” Motsepe said. “This structure will ensure sustainable financial independence and better synchronisation with the Fifa calendar.”
AFCON is estimated to contribute about 80 per cent of CAF’s total revenue, a reliance that previously made the football body hesitant to reduce the tournament’s frequency. The four-year cycle had been championed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino but was resisted by CAF due to financial concerns.
The timing of AFCON has long been controversial, particularly among European clubs, as the tournament has often been held during the European season. Although CAF announced in 2019 that the competition would move to mid-year, editions in Cameroon in 2022 and Côte d’Ivoire in 2024 were staged in January and February.
This year’s tournament in Morocco was moved back by six months following the introduction of Fifa’s expanded Club World Cup, held in the United States in June and July.
CAF said the revised calendar would ease congestion, reduce clashes with club competitions and give African football a more predictable and globally aligned schedule.
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