CAF Reverses AFCON Four-Year Plan, Restores Traditional Two-Year Tournament Cycle

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming that the continental tournament will return to its traditional two-year cycle.

The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee following the organisation’s Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held from October 7 to 9, 2026.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the development, explaining that the confederation had reviewed its earlier proposal to move AFCON to a four-year schedule while introducing a biennial Africa Nations League.

According to CAF, the proposed Nations League would require several years to generate the financial resources and football development benefits needed to make African competitions more competitive globally and financially sustainable.

In a statement published on Thursday, Motsepe said retaining the two-year AFCON cycle was considered the best option for African football, the confederation’s 54 member associations and African players contracted to clubs outside the continent.

He explained that although the proposed Africa Nations League was designed to follow a similar format and take place every two years, it would not deliver the expected financial and developmental benefits quickly enough.

Under the revised schedule, the next AFCON will take place in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly hosting the competition.

Subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033, with CAF maintaining that AFCON will not be staged in a FIFA World Cup year.

Motsepe also expressed confidence in the three East African countries’ ability to organise a successful tournament in 2027.

The CAF president described AFCON as more than a football competition, saying it provides an opportunity to celebrate Africa’s cultural diversity and bring together people from across the continent and the diaspora.

He added that the decision was intended to protect the interests of African football and contribute to the growth of the game across the confederation’s 54 member associations.

The reversal restores the traditional AFCON scheduling arrangement after CAF had considered a major restructuring of its international competition calendar.