AFCON to hold every two years again — CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its previous decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming that the continental showpiece will return to a biennial format.

The CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) unanimously approved the decision, with CAF President Patrice Motsepe announcing the development following the organisation’s Strategy Conference held in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9, 2026.

The decision follows a reassessment of CAF’s earlier plan to move AFCON to a four-year cycle and introduce a new Africa Nations League as a replacement competition to be staged every two years.

According to CAF, the proposed Nations League would require several years before generating the substantial financial resources needed to support the development of African football and make its competitions globally competitive and financially self-sustaining.

In a post obtained from CAF’s website on Friday, explaining the decision, Motsepe said the EXCO’s position was guided by the need to protect the interests of African football, its 54 member associations and African players competing for clubs outside the continent.

“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,” Motsepe said.

He added that CAF was concerned about the length of time it would take for the proposed Africa Nations League to generate the financial and developmental benefits initially envisaged.

“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 said.

Under the revised schedule, the next TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027. 

The subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033, with CAF maintaining that the tournament will not be staged in the same year as the FIFA World Cup.

Motsepe expressed confidence in the East African countries’ ability to successfully host the 2027 tournament, describing the competition as an important platform for showcasing the continent’s footballing talent.

“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 explained that the scheduling arrangement also takes into consideration the 2030 FIFA World Cup, noting that, in line with FIFA tradition, continental national team competitions should not hold their final tournaments during a World Cup year.

Beyond the sporting and financial considerations, the CAF president stressed that AFCON remains an important cultural event that brings Africans together and celebrates the continent’s diversity.

“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 stated.

He maintained that restoring the two-year cycle would support the growth of the game across the continent and strengthen CAF’s 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 marks a significant shift in CAF’s competition calendar strategy, reaffirming AFCON’s position as the continent’s flagship national team tournament while giving the proposed Africa Nations League a different place in the organisation’s long-term plans.