CAF cited the years its proposed replacement tournament would need to become financially viable in reversing its four-year plan. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are scheduled to jointly host the next Afcon in 2027.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to restore the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to a two-year cycle. Its executive committee’s decision reverses the plan announced in December to hold the national-team tournament every four years, CAF said in a statement quoted by BBC Sport.
Most recent Afcon tournaments have taken place midway through the European club season, creating long-running calendar difficulties for clubs whose players take part.
CAF had proposed the Africa Nations League Pan-African Competition to replace Afcon as its tournament held every two years. But CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the competition would need several years to generate enough revenue to support itself and make the financial and football-development contributions needed for African football and CAF competitions to compete globally. That delay was part of the reason for the reversal, CAF said in the statement carried in AFP’s account in the Guardian.
Motsepe said restoring the two-year cycle aims to protect and promote the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside Africa.
| Edition |
|---|
| 2027 |
| 2028 |
| 2031 |
Morocco 2025 was projected to generate $192 million, or 66% of CAF’s competition revenue. CAF retains the two-year cycle as its president says the proposed Nations League needs years to provide substantial funding.
Motsepe said there would be no Afcon in 2030 because of the World Cup. He cited a FIFA tradition against holding continental national-team finals in a World Cup year to explain the gap between 2028 and 2031. The announced schedule also places the 2027 and 2028 editions in consecutive years.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the next tournament.
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