The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the reversal of its decision to alter the frequency of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), returning to a biennial schedule following a comprehensive review of its previous strategy.
The decision was unanimously passed by the Executive Committee, putting an end to the debate reopened by President Patrice Motsepe during CAF’s Strategic Conference held in Cape Verde earlier this October.
Motsepe stated: “The decision was made in the best interest of safeguarding and enhancing African football, member associations, and African professional players competing outside the continent.”
The reversal is closely tied to the proposed African Nations League project; CAF clarified that the new competition requires several years to generate the requisite financial resources and sporting contribution needed to sustain continental tournaments.
In December 2025, CAF had originally announced a transition to hosting the tournament every four years following the 2028 edition, aligning with the introduction of the Nations League project as part of a wider calendar overhaul.
The new statement outlined a key transitional arrangement: the next edition will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in 2027, followed immediately by an edition in 2028, with subsequent tournaments scheduled for 2031 and 2033.
CAF clarified that skipping 2030 aims to prevent scheduling conflicts with the FIFA World Cup, meaning the full return to the two-year cycle will feature tailored timing adjustments across the announced editions.
The ruling re-establishes AFCON as the flagship competition for African national teams, after the four-year plan had raised widespread questions regarding its commercial and sporting impact on member associations.
