AFCON to hold every four years as CAF introduces African Nations League

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set for a major structural shift, with the tournament to be staged every four years from 2028.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe announced the decision on Saturday, confirming that the long-running biennial format will end after the 2027 edition, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

A one-off AFCON will still be held in 2028, after which the competition will fully transition to a four-year cycle.

“The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be held every four years from 2028,” Motsepe told reporters in Rabat, Morocco, unveiling what he described as a new era for African football governance.

The CAF president said the decision was driven by the need to align African football more closely with the global calendar and reduce long-standing tensions with European clubs over player availability.

“We have the most exciting new structure for African football,” Mr Motsepe said. “I do what is in the interests of Africa. The global calendar has to be significantly more synchronised and harmonised.”

African Nations League

To fill the competition gap created by the extended AFCON cycle, CAF will introduce an African Nations League, scheduled to begin in 2029 and run annually. The new competition is expected to provide regular high-level matches for national teams while easing pressure on players and clubs during congested seasons.

The announcement was made in Morocco following a meeting of CAF’s executive committee, just days before the start of the 2025 AFCON finals in Rabat.

CAF also confirmed an increase in prize money for the tournament’s winners, raising the top reward from $7 million to $10 million, part of broader efforts to improve the commercial appeal and sustainability of African football.

AFCON legacy

AFCON’s place in African sporting history is deeply rooted. The tournament was first staged in 1957 in Sudan, with just three teams — Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia — competing in the inaugural edition.

Egypt emerged as the first champions, laying the foundation for what would become the continent’s most prestigious football competition.

Initially held irregularly, AFCON adopted a two-year cycle in 1968, a format that has largely defined the tournament for decades.

Over time, the competition expanded in scale and significance, growing from a handful of teams to 24 participants, reflecting the rapid development of football across the continent.

Iconic football nations such as Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria have shaped AFCON’s legacy, while the tournament has also served as a launchpad for African stars who later excelled on the global stage.

Memorable editions — from Nigeria’s triumph on home soil in 1980 to Zambia’s emotional victory in 2012 — have cemented AFCON’s status as a cultural and sporting spectacle.

However, the biennial format has frequently drawn criticism, particularly from European clubs, because most recent editions were staged in January and February, disrupting domestic leagues and international competitions.

CAF attempted to address this by moving the tournament to a June–July window starting with the 2019 edition in Egypt.

Those plans were repeatedly disrupted. The COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather conditions in host countries meant that the 2021 tournament in Cameroon and the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire were both held in January and February, reigniting calendar conflicts.

Despite those challenges, AFCON has continued to grow in commercial value and global visibility.

The 2025 edition in Morocco will mark another milestone, as the country prepares to host the tournament for the second time, following its first hosting in 1988.

By shifting AFCON to a four-year cycle, CAF believes the tournament will gain greater prestige, improved planning stability and enhanced global appeal, similar to other major continental championships.