The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its earlier decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, maintaining the tournament’s traditional two-year cycle.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the decision was reached by the body’s Executive Committee following consultations on the future of African football and the interests of its 54 member associations.
Motsepe explained that retaining the biennial format was intended to protect the interests of African football, particularly national football associations and African players plying their trade outside the continent.
The decision means AFCON will continue to be held every two years rather than transition to a four-year cycle as previously proposed.
CAF had announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move to a four-year cycle from 2028, with a proposed Africa Nations League introduced as a biennial competition.
However, the governing body reconsidered the arrangement after recognising that the proposed Nations League would take several years to generate sufficient financial resources to support African football and CAF competitions.
CAF’s Executive Committee unanimously approved the return to the two-year AFCON format on October 29, 2026. Confédération Africaine de Football +2
Upcoming AFCON tournaments
The revised schedule also provides for the following editions:
| Year | Host arrangement |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda |
| 2028 | Host yet to be confirmed |
| 2030 | No tournament (FIFA World Cup year) |
| 2031 | Host yet to be confirmed |
| 2033 | Host yet to be confirmed |
The 2027 tournament will be particularly significant for East Africa as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda prepare to jointly host the continental competition.
Although AFCON is returning to a two-year cycle, the announced schedule includes a three-year gap between the 2028 and 2031 editions because the tournament will not be staged in the 2030 FIFA World Cup year.
