CAF’s Executive Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to undo the four-year plan announced in December, with the next AFCON still set for 2027 in East Africa.
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The Confederation of African Football has reversed its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years and restored the tournament to its traditional two-year cycle. The CAF Executive Committee took the decision unanimously at a meeting on Thursday.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe had hinted at the change earlier this month at the continent’s strategy conference in Cabo Verde. He said then that the Executive Committee would reconsider its earlier decision.
The four year plan was announced in December 2025 and was meant to start in 2028. It was part of a wider plan to launch an Africa Nations League, which was supposed to fill the gap between editions.
CAF has now accepted that building the Nations League into a globally competitive and financially self sustaining tournament would take several years. Fans following African football can also claim YOHAIG bonus access before the next qualifiers.
Motsepe Explains the Reversal
Motsepe said the decision was based on protecting the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players at clubs outside the continent. He told CAFonline that the aim was “advancing, protecting and promoting the interest of African Football.”
He also said the planned Africa Nations League would take several years to make the financial and football development contributions CAF needs. The new competition was supposed to mirror AFCON, with a tournament every two years.
AFCON is also about celebrating African cultures and customs, he said, and bringing people together from Africa’s 54 countries and the diaspora.
Is this the right call? For many fans, the answer is yes, because AFCON has been played every two years since 1968 and remains the continent’s biggest event. Readers can also check this Bet9ja promotion guide before the qualifiers resume.
What the Calendar Looks Like Now
The next AFCON is in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Motsepe said later editions will follow in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
AFCON will not be held in a World Cup year, so the 2030 World Cup leaves a gap in the calendar. Motsepe pointed to the FIFA tradition that continental tournaments avoid World Cup years.
Nigeria will want to be in the 2027 field. The Super Eagles are due to face Tanzania home and away on November 11 and 15 in their qualifying group, according to reports.
Can the Super Eagles deliver? Tanzania are co-hosts and already have a place, so only the top non-host side in the group will qualify. Anyone planning a bet on the games can read how to get a Bet9ja promotion code first.
The decision ends months of uncertainty for national teams. Federations had been planning around a four-year cycle.
For now, AFCON is back on its familiar rhythm. The 2027 edition in East Africa will be the next test.
📌 Did You Know?
- CAF announced the four-year plan on December 20, 2025, at the AFCON 2025 kick-off press conference in Rabat.
- The first AFCON was staged in 1957, and the tournament has been played every two years since 1968.
- The Africa Nations League was meant to start in 2029 as an annual competition.
- From 2028, the four-year plan would also have expanded AFCON from 24 to 28 teams.
- The 2025 AFCON in Morocco opened with a game between the hosts and Comoros.
- The 2012 and 2013 editions were played in consecutive years, the only one-year gap in the two-year pattern.
