CAF Reverses Decision, Retains AFCON’s Two-Year Cycle

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its earlier decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, announcing a return to the tournament’s traditional two-year cycle.

The decision was reached unanimously by CAF’s Executive Committee and confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday.

CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, had in December 2025 announced plans to organise AFCON every four years, aligning the competition with the European Championship calendar.

The continental football governing body had also proposed the introduction of an African Nations League in 2029 as part of efforts to restructure football competitions across Africa.

However, Motsepe explained that the decision to retain the biennial format was taken in the best interests of African football and CAF’s 54 member associations.

He noted that the proposed African Nations League, which was expected to fill the gap created by the four-year AFCON schedule, could take several years to become financially sustainable.

Speaking on the revised calendar, Motsepe confirmed that the next edition of AFCON would be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027.

“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. The subsequent AFCONs thereafter will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033,” he said.

The CAF president further explained that the scheduling of future tournaments would take into consideration the FIFA World Cup calendar, particularly the 2030 edition.

According to him, CAF would continue to respect FIFA’s tradition of avoiding the staging of major continental national team competitions during World Cup years.

The latest decision effectively overturns CAF’s earlier proposal to reduce the frequency of Africa’s biggest international football tournament, preserving its long-standing place on the continental football calendar.