The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has overturned its earlier decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming that the continent’s flagship tournament will revert to a biennial schedule.
The CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) approved the decision unanimously, and CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the change after the organization’s Strategy Conference, which took place in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9, 2026.
The decision comes after CAF reassessed its earlier plan to shift AFCON to a four-year cycle and launch a new Africa Nations League as a replacement competition to be held every two years.
According to CAF, the proposed Nations League would take several years to generate the substantial financial resources required to support the development of African football and to make its competitions globally competitive and financially self-sustaining.
In a post published on CAF’s website on Friday explaining the decision, Motsepe said the EXCO’s position was driven by the need to safeguard the interests of African football, its 54 member associations, and African players who compete for clubs outside the continent.
“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,” Motsepe said.
He also stated that CAF was concerned about the length of time it would take for the proposed Africa Nations League to generate the financial and developmental benefits initially envisaged.
“We were also concerned by the several years required before the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African competition (which was supposed to be identical to the current AFCON and take place every two years) could make the substantial financial and football development contributions for African football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting,” he said.
According to the revised schedule, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will co-host the next TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.
The following editions are set for 2028, 2031, and 2033, and CAF insists the tournament will not be held in the same year as the FIFA World Cup.
Motsepe voiced confidence in the East African countries’ capacity to host the 2027 tournament successfully, calling the competition a key platform for displaying the continent’s footballing talent.
“The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and I am confident that it will be very successful,” he said.
He noted that the scheduling also takes the 2030 FIFA World Cup into account, explaining that, in keeping with FIFA tradition, continental national team competitions should not stage their final tournaments in a World Cup year.
Beyond the sporting and financial aspects, the CAF president emphasized that AFCON remains a significant cultural event that unites Africans and celebrates the continent’s diversity.
“The AFCON competition is also about celebrating African football and Africa’s rich and diverse cultures, customs, and traditions and bringing people together from Africa’s 54 countries, the African diaspora, and throughout the world,” Motsepe stated.
He stressed that restoring the two-year cycle would support the growth of the game across the continent and strengthen CAF’s member associations.
“The CAF EXCO decision is in the best interest of African football and CAF’s 54 member associations and will also contribute significantly to the development and growth of football in Africa,” he added.
This decision represents a notable change in CAF’s strategy for its competition calendar, reaffirming AFCON’s status as the continent’s premier national team tournament while assigning the proposed Africa Nations League a distinct role in the organization’s long-term plans.
