Can Africa have its own Nations League?

An AFCON every two years: a model running out of steam

Staged every two years since 1957, AFCON is now at a turning point in its history. The expansion of the tournament to 24 teams since 2019 has sent logistical and financial demands soaring. CAF-standard stadiums, hotel capacity, transport infrastructure, security: few African countries are able to shoulder such an event on their own, and those that take it on often do so at the cost of heavy state investment. Beyond the practical challenges, the biennial frequency of AFCON creates a congested calendar, particularly for African players based in Europe, who are put under double pressure: from their clubs and from their national teams.

An African Nations League: an old idea that never got off the ground

It is not a new idea. As far back as 2019, Ahmad Ahmad, then CAF president, told Jeune Afrique: "African federations are overwhelmingly in favour. And personally, I think it is a no-brainer."

The project was at an advanced stage at the time, with the aim of mirroring the European structure: four divisions based on the FIFA rankings, a promotion and relegation system, matches spread across the FIFA windows, and possible integration into the AFCON qualification system. Talks had even been held with UEFA to examine how such a format could work on the African continent. Ahmad added at the time: "We will also make sure that this Nations League, if it were to be created, does not overload the calendar." Since then, the idea has sat in a CAF drawer with no concrete follow-up. But the current context could reopen the debate.

A modern answer to the challenges of African football

Revisiting the African Nations League project today would meet several structural needs:

• Replace meaningless friendlies with competitive official matches, raising the level of competition.
• Boost media visibility and attract new sponsors to an annual competition.
• Ease the logistical burden: no designated host country, with each nation playing at home on a lighter calendar.
• Provide a sporting springboard for second-tier national teams, which often lack major exposure.
• Strengthen the FIFA rankings of African national teams through official, competitive matches.

An AFCON every 4 years: is it inevitable?

To accompany this reform, holding AFCON every 4 years, like the World Cup, is becoming an increasingly popular proposal:

• To ease overloaded calendars.
• To allow better preparation and give AFCON more prestige.
• To encourage a better-managed organisational cycle for host countries.

Between two AFCONs, a Nations League would keep Africa's elite in an annual competitive rhythm, without the logistical and diplomatic wear and tear of a continental tournament.

A new era for CAF?

While UEFA and Concacaf have made their Nations League an attractive sporting and commercial product, Africa now has the chance to follow the same path, adapting it to its own realities. The project, first raised five years ago, generated enthusiasm. It is time for CAF to put it back on the table. By rebuilding its calendar around a four-yearly AFCON and an annual Nations League, CAF would meet the expectations of a more structured, competitive and sustainable African game. Such a reform would mark a historic turning point in the governance of football on the continent.