The President of the (CAF), , has confirmed that the (AFCON) will move from its long-standing two-year cycle to a four-year format beginning in 2028.
The announcement was made on Saturday, on the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, marking one of the most significant structural changes to the continent’s flagship football competition in more than five decades.
AFCON has traditionally been staged every two years since its inception in 1957, with the biennial cycle firmly established from 1968. The only notable deviation came between the 2012 and 2013 editions, when CAF adjusted the calendar to realign the tournament with odd-numbered years.
Under the current structure, the biennial format will remain in place through the 2027 edition, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. From 2028 onward, the competition will be held once every four years, aligning it more closely with other major international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.
Motsepe also revealed that CAF plans to introduce an African Nations League, a new competition expected to be launched in 2029 and held annually. According to CAF, the proposed Nations League is designed to provide African national teams with more regular, competitive fixtures while enhancing commercial value and broadcast appeal.
“We have the most exciting new structure for African football,” Motsepe said, describing the changes as part of a broader vision to modernise and strengthen the game across the continent.
The announcement came just hours before Morocco and Comoros were set to kick off the 2025 AFCON in the tournament’s opening match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. As has become customary, Motsepe addressed the media ahead of the opening fixture, touching on several strategic issues affecting African football before confirming the landmark decision.
AFCON is widely regarded as Africa’s premier sporting event, both in terms of prestige and cultural significance. As such, the move to a four-year cycle is expected to divide opinion among fans, players, and football administrators across the continent.
Supporters of the change argue that a four-year cycle could elevate the tournament’s global profile, improve long-term planning for host nations, and reduce congestion in an already crowded international football calendar. They also believe it could allow CAF to stage a more commercially robust competition, with greater global visibility and sponsorship opportunities.
However, critics contend that the frequent staging of AFCON has been one of its defining strengths, giving African players regular opportunities to represent their countries and keeping national team football at the centre of the continent’s sporting identity. Some fear that reducing the frequency could weaken fan engagement and diminish the tournament’s unique rhythm.
The decision is also likely to reignite debate over the influence of European football on African competitions. European clubs have long expressed concern about the timing of AFCON, particularly when it clashes with domestic leagues and continental competitions in Europe. For the 2025 edition, European clubs were allowed to retain African players until December 15, just six days before the tournament begins on December 21.
Scheduling challenges have become a recurring issue for CAF in recent years. The 2021 AFCON, originally planned for that year, was played in early 2022 due to infrastructure delays in Cameroon. Similarly, the 2023 edition was pushed to early 2024 after host nation Côte d’Ivoire required additional time to complete preparations.
CAF has also explored moving AFCON away from its traditional January-February window. In 2019, the tournament was staged in Egypt during June and July, but extreme heat conditions affected match quality and player welfare. Subsequent attempts to maintain a summer schedule proved difficult, particularly in West Africa, where heavy rainfall during that period increases the risk of flooding and pitch damage.
Morocco 2025 was initially scheduled for June and July, but those plans were disrupted by FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams, with the revamped competition set to take place during the same window. To avoid a clash, CAF rescheduled AFCON 2025 to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
According to CAF officials, the shift to a four-year AFCON cycle, combined with the introduction of the African Nations League, is intended to create a more balanced and sustainable calendar for African football. The Nations League is expected to ensure that national teams still play meaningful competitive matches regularly, even with fewer AFCON tournaments.
As African football enters a period of structural change, the coming years will serve as a crucial test of CAF’s new vision. While the immediate focus remains on AFCON 2025 in Morocco, discussions around the long-term impact of the four-year cycle are likely to intensify.
Whether the reforms ultimately strengthen African football or fuel further controversy remains to be seen, but the decision marks a defining moment in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
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