AFCON Returns to Two-Year Cycle Following CAF Policy Reversal

By Samuel Akpan

African football’s flagship tournament is bouncing back to its traditional every-two-years rhythm after the Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee unanimously scrapped a controversial four-year cycle.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the outcome on Friday in a statement following the organisation’s Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9, 2026.

“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 stated.

The reversal followed a full reassessment of the earlier plan that would have moved AFCON to a four-year cycle while launching a new Africa Nations League every two years as a replacement.

Officials reiterated the proposed Nations League would require several years before generating the substantial financial resources needed to develop African football and make competitions globally competitive and self-sustaining.

“We were also concerned by the several years required before the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African competition could make the substantial financial and football development contributions for African Football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting,” Motsepe explained.

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

Motsepe voiced strong confidence in the East African hosts: “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 described the competition as a vital platform for showcasing the continent’s footballing talent, with subsequent editions locked in for 2028, 2031 and 2033.

The calendar deliberately avoids World Cup years, ensuring no AFCON final tournament in 2030 in line with FIFA tradition that continental national team competitions do not stage their decisive events during the global showpiece.

Motsepe also noted the cultural dimension: “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.”

Restoring the two-year cycle will 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,” Motsepe added.