The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will shift from a biennial event to a quadrennial competition beginning after the 2028 edition.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe revealed the decision on Saturday at an executive committee press briefing on the eve of the 2025 AFCON opening match in Morocco.
The move aims to better synchronise African football with the global calendar, addressing long-standing issues that have seen AFCON clash with European club fixtures and disrupt domestic league seasons.
Under the new arrangement:
The tournaments scheduled for 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and 2028 will take place as planned.
From 2032 onward, AFCON will be staged once every four years aligning it with continental championships like the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup.
Motsepe emphasised that the biennial format, which had been in place since 1968, frequently forced African players to leave their European clubs mid-season, creating tensions between clubs and national teams.
Introduction of African Nations League
To fill the competitive gap created by fewer AFCON tournaments, CAF also announced the launch of a new annual African Nations League, beginning in 2029.
The competition modelled after UEFA’s Nations League will ensure regular international competition for African national teams and provide a fresh revenue stream to offset the reduced frequency of AFCON.
CAF has also increased the prize money for the current AFCON edition, raising the winners’ payout from $7 million to $10 million, a move intended to enhance the tournament’s prestige and commercial appeal.
