CAF Reverses Four-Year Plan as AFCON Returns to Two-Year Cycle

Posted : 31 October 2026

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially restored the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to its traditional two-year cycle after reversing its earlier decision to hold the continental competition every four years.

The decision was unanimously approved by CAF's Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following a review of the previous arrangement. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed the development in an official statement.

The reversal comes less than a year after CAF announced plans to introduce a four-year AFCON cycle in December 2025. Under that proposal, the organisation intended to establish a new Africa Nations League as the continent's biennial national-team competition.

However, CAF reconsidered the arrangement after recognising that the proposed Africa Nations League would require several years of planning before generating the financial resources needed to support African football and its competitions.

Motsepe explained that restoring the two-year AFCON schedule was necessary to protect the interests of African football, the confederation's 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside the continent.

He said the Executive Committee's decision was based on the need to promote the development of African football and maintain the financial sustainability of CAF competitions.

"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," Motsepe stated.

The CAF president also expressed confidence in the next tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027.

He further explained that the proposed Africa Nations League would take time to become financially viable and deliver the expected contributions to football development across the continent.

Under the revised calendar, the 2027 AFCON will proceed as planned in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The competition will then return in 2028, with subsequent editions scheduled for 2031 and 2033.

CAF has also confirmed that there will be no AFCON tournament in 2030 because of the FIFA World Cup scheduled for that year. The decision follows the organisation's position that continental national-team competitions should not clash with the global football showpiece.

The return to a two-year format represents a major adjustment to CAF's international competition calendar. It also means African national teams will continue to compete for the continent's biggest football prize at more regular intervals.

Motsepe highlighted the wider significance of the competition, describing AFCON as more than a football tournament. He said it provides an opportunity to celebrate Africa's diverse cultures, traditions and identities while bringing together people from the continent, the diaspora and other parts of the world.

The decision is also significant for African players based in Europe and other foreign leagues, whose international commitments are affected by changes to the competition calendar.

The 2025 decision to move AFCON to a four-year cycle had attracted criticism across African football, with concerns about the impact on national teams, players, supporters and the commercial value of the tournament.

With the latest reversal, CAF has retained AFCON's traditional position as a major recurring event in international football while continuing to pursue its wider plans for developing the African game.

CAF Reverses Four-Year Plan as AFCON Returns to Two-Year Cycle

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