The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, opting instead to retain the competition’s traditional two-year cycle.
The decision was announced on Thursday, 29 October, after the CAF Executive Committee unanimously approved the change, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over the tournament’s future schedule.
In December 2025, CAF announced plans to move AFCON to a four-year cycle after the 2027 edition. The proposed Africa Nations League was expected to serve as an alternative platform for international competition across the continent.
However, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the governing body had reconsidered the proposal after realising that the proposed Nations League would take several years to generate enough revenue to support African football and its competitions.
According to Motsepe, retaining the biennial AFCON was necessary to safeguard the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players plying their trade at clubs outside the continent.
“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,” he said.
The Africa Nations League proposal was designed to restructure the continent’s international football calendar. However, CAF concluded that the competition would not generate the financial resources needed to support the development of the game in the immediate future.
The reversal means African national teams will continue to compete for the continent’s premier football title every two years, rather than under the four-year format initially proposed by CAF.
The next edition of AFCON is scheduled for 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda set to co-host the tournament. Subsequent editions are planned for 2028, 2031 and 2033 under the revised calendar.
The decision represents a major shift in CAF’s competition strategy as the organisation seeks to balance the commercial growth of African football with the interests of national associations, players and supporters.