AFCON revert back to being every two years

The Africa Cup of Nations will return to a two-year cycle after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee unanimously reversed its decision to stage the competition every four years.

The decision, announced on Thursday, October 29, restores the tournament’s traditional format following months of uncertainty over its future schedule. CAF had announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move to a four-year cycle after the 2027 edition.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the change was necessary after the governing body recognised that its proposed Africa Nations League would take several years to generate the financial resources needed to support African football and its competitions.

“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,” he explained.

The proposed competition was intended to replace the existing AFCON as a biennial tournament. However, CAF concluded that it could not provide the required financial support in the immediate future.

Motsepe said the decision was taken to protect the interests of African football, the confederation’s 54 member associations and African players employed by clubs outside the continent.

The next AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, before subsequent editions in 2028, 2031 and 2033.

The revised schedule accounts for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with CAF confirming that AFCON and other confederations’ national team competitions will not hold their final tournaments during a World Cup year.

The decision reverses a major change to the African football calendar that had attracted criticism and raised concerns about the tournament’s commercial value, visibility and importance to member associations.

AFCON has traditionally been held every two years since 1968, apart from a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions.

The return to a biennial format means African football’s flagship national team competition will retain its regular place on the continental sporting calendar.