The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to a two-year cycle, reversing its earlier decision to stage the tournament every four years.
The decision was unanimously approved by CAF’s Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29th, restoring the tournament’s traditional biennial format that has been in place since 1968, apart from a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe said the move was based on advancing, protecting and promoting the interests of African football, its 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside the continent.
CAF had announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move to a four-year cycle, with a proposed Africa Nations League taking place every two years to replace the current format. However, the governing body concluded that the new competition would require several years to generate the substantial financial resources necessary for CAF competitions and African football to be globally competitive and self-supporting.
Motsepe had signalled the reversal at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde from October 7th to the 9th, noting that feedback from member associations strongly supported reverting to the biennial format. “I’ve received lots of correspondence from our member associations, and what should happen is we should have the AFCON every two years,” he said.
The next AFCON will take place in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first time three East African nations have co-hosted the tournament and its first return to East Africa since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976. Subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033, with no AFCON in 2030 as CAF maintains its tradition of not staging the tournament in a FIFA World Cup year.
The return to a two-year cycle means African football’s flagship national team competition will retain its regular place on the continental sporting calendar, providing member associations with a reliable source of revenue and competitive opportunity. The challenge now is for CAF to ensure the 2027 edition delivers on its promise, with the tournament’s success seen as critical to the long-term growth and financial sustainability of African football.
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