AFCON: CAF scraps four-year cycle and restores tournament every two years
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will keep its biennial rhythm. Meeting on Thursday 29 October 2026, the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously decided to return to a tournament every two years, abandoning the plan to move to a four-year cycle. The change redraws the African football calendar for the next few years.
Rieltony LOUBOKO · Author profile ·
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Nations League failed to convince
The U-turn follows questions raised by the introduction of the Nations League, a new pan-African competition that was originally meant to take over from AFCON in the biennial calendar. According to CAF, the format would have taken several years to generate enough revenue to support the financial development of continental football and strengthen its competitiveness on the world stage.
Following the Strategic Conference held in Cape Verde from 7 to 9 October 2026, the body's president, Patrice Motsepe, had announced that the Executive Committee would review the reform adopted earlier. That review has ended with the continent's flagship tournament keeping its historic frequency.
Calendar already set until 2033
The new calendar provides for an AFCON in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, followed by another edition in 2028. The next tournaments are scheduled for 2031 and 2033. The competition could, however, be suspended in World Cup years, in line with FIFA practice.
African football's interests put first
For Patrice Motsepe, the decision is above all aimed at protecting the interests of the 54 member associations and of African players, particularly those playing in foreign leagues. He believes that a return to an AFCON every two years is the format most favourable to the development and financial independence of African football.
CAF thus keeps AFCON at the heart of its sporting and economic model, while abandoning, for now, the reform that was set to profoundly change the calendar for Africa's national teams.