A seismic wave of announcement by CAF's president whose aftershocks will be felt well beyond the borders of the continent. While Morocco is preparing to celebrate the high moments of African football, the president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe took advantage of the media exposure to redesign the future of tomorrow’s football. The stated objective is to align the African calendar with international standards and optimize the commercial and sporting value of the competitions.
The end of the biannual calendar
Since its creation, the two-year periodicity was the DNA of the AFCON, its strength but also its weakness in the face of European clubs. This era is coming to an end. "The COMPETITION will take place every 4 years after 2028," said the president of the CAF. To ensure this transition, a tighter schedule is planned: after the 2027 edition, an AFCON "bridge" will be organized from 2028, before definitively switching to the quadrennial cycle.
The arrival of the League of African Nations
To fill the gap left by the spacing, CAF is relying on a new format: the League of African Nations. Inspired by the UEFA model, this tournament will start in 2029.
"We have worked with Gianni Infantino to ensure that every year there is an African competition from September to November during the FIFA dates,"
said Motsepe.
This new competition aims to replace friendly matches, often unlucrative and complicated to organize, with stakes meetings, divided by level divisions.
The challenges of a paradigm shift
This announcement already raises many debates on the short and long-term consequences. By moving to a frequency of four years, the AFCON gains in "scarcity" and therefore in marketing value. Above all, it could ease the chronic tensions with European clubs who take a dim view of their stars leaving in the middle of the season. Less frequent, the competition will be easier to be aligned in the world calendar.
The transition to four years carries a risk: that of seeing certain nations stagnate due to the lack of regular high-level confrontations. This is where the League of Nations plays its role. By guaranteeing competitive matches every year, CAF hopes to maintain, if not raise, the average level of selections, while offering a source of regular income through TV rights.
Towards a new era
Until now, the pace of AFCON every 2 years imposed a constant pressure on host countries to build stadiums. With four years between each edition, the candidate nations will have more time to deliver quality infrastructure, thus avoiding projects in an emergency.
By partnering closely with FIFA for this reform, Patrice Motsepe imposes a more global and commercial vision of African football. If the nostalgia of the AFCON 'every two years' risks pricking the hearts of the supporters, the promise of a better organized show and tenfold revenues is the bet attempted by the current management. African football is no longer in transition; it has just changed its era. It remains to be seen if this shift is on the right side of history.
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À propos de l'auteur
Philemon MBALE
Rédacteur sportif
Passionné de sport depuis toujours, partage avec vous les dernières actualités et analyses du monde sportif.