The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to its traditional two-year schedule after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially reversed its controversial plan to stage the competition every four years.
CAF’s Executive Committee unanimously approved the return to a biennial format on Thursday, October 29, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over the future schedule of Africa’s biggest international football tournament.
The decision overturns the governing body’s earlier plan to move AFCON to a four-year cycle, with a proposed Africa Nations League expected to fill the gap by providing a major continental competition every two years.
However, CAF acknowledged that the proposed replacement competition would require several years before generating the substantial financial resources needed to support African football and make its competitions more globally competitive.
The reversal follows discussions at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held between October 7 and 9, where CAF president Patrice Motsepe indicated that the Executive Committee would reassess the decision.
Motsepe explained that restoring AFCON’s traditional schedule was necessary to protect the interests of African football, the continent’s 54 member associations and players representing clubs outside Africa.
In CAF’s official statement, the president said: “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.”
The decision also provides greater clarity over the tournament calendar for the coming years, with CAF confirming the next four editions.
The 2027 AFCON will take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking a major opportunity for East Africa to host the continent’s premier national team competition.
The tournament will return again in 2028 before subsequent editions in 2031 and 2033. There will be no AFCON in 2030, as the year is reserved for the FIFA World Cup. CAF maintains the tradition of avoiding a continental national-team tournament in a World Cup year.
The new schedule means African football will retain the familiar rhythm of major AFCON tournaments while accommodating the demands of the international football calendar.
For supporters, national teams and the continent’s football associations, the announcement ends the uncertainty surrounding the proposed four-year arrangement.
CAF has not, however, provided a new timetable or detailed update on the future role of the proposed Africa Nations League in its announcement. What is now confirmed is that AFCON will once again be contested every two years, beginning with the 2027 tournament in East Africa.
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