CAF Reverses Four-Year Plan, Confirms AFCON Will Hold Every Two Years

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its earlier decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming that the continental football tournament will return to its traditional two-year cycle.

The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29, 2026, according to an official announcement by the continental football governing body.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the reversal following a review of the previous arrangement, which would have changed the competition’s established schedule and introduced a new Africa Nations League as a biennial tournament.

The review followed discussions at the CAF Strategy Conference held in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9, 2026, where Motsepe indicated that the organisation was reconsidering its plan to move AFCON to a four-year cycle.

Under the earlier proposal announced in December 2025, AFCON would have been staged every four years, while the proposed Africa Nations League was expected to provide regular competition for African national teams and generate additional revenue for the continent’s football development.

However, CAF said the proposed Africa Nations League would require several years before it could generate the substantial financial resources needed to support the organisation’s competitions and make African football more financially sustainable and globally competitive.

Motsepe said the decision to restore the two-year AFCON schedule was taken to protect and promote the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside the continent.

The CAF president also confirmed that the next edition of AFCON would take place in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly hosting the competition. The tournament will mark a major continental football event for the three East African countries.

Following the 2027 edition, CAF has scheduled subsequent AFCON tournaments for 2028, 2031 and 2033. The calendar excludes 2030 because the FIFA World Cup is scheduled for that year, consistent with CAF’s stated approach of avoiding the staging of its senior national-team finals during a World Cup year.

Motsepe expressed confidence in the ability of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to successfully organise the 2027 tournament. He also described AFCON as a competition that brings together people from Africa’s 54 countries, the African diaspora and other parts of the world while showcasing the continent’s diverse cultures and traditions.

CAF said the restoration of the biennial format would support the development and growth of football across the continent while protecting the interests of its member associations. The announcement settles the immediate uncertainty over AFCON’s frequency following the governing body’s earlier plan to move the tournament to a four-year schedule.