The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be held every four years starting from 2028, Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed.
The African Nations League has been staged every two years since 1968, apart from a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 tournaments. That cycle will now end after the 2027 edition in East Africa, followed by a one-off tournament in 2028 before the new four-year format begins.
Instead of a biennial AFCON, CAF will launch a brand-new African Nations League, which will be played every year from 2029.
“We now have a very exciting new structure for African football,” Motsepe said. “I always act in the best interests of Africa. The global calendar needs to be much better aligned and synchronized.”
Alongside the format change, CAF has also increased the prize money for AFCON winners from $7 million (£5.2m) to $10 million (£7.5m).
Motsepe made the surprise announcement after a CAF executive committee meeting in Morocco, just ahead of the start of the 2025 AFCON finals in Rabat on Sunday.
AFCON’s two-year cycle has long caused problems with the football calendar, as most tournaments are held during the European club season. Despite this, CAF had stuck with the biennial format because the competition generates vital revenue for African football.
From 2019, CAF planned to move AFCON to a June-July window, starting with the tournament in Egypt. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and weather conditions in Central and West Africa meant the 2021 and 2023 editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast were played in January and February instead.
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This year, FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup took place in June and July, forcing the African Nations League back into mid-season dates once again. As a result, the 2025 AFCON in Morocco will be played over Christmas and New Year for the first time, with the final set for 18 January.
The dates for the 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are yet to be announced. That tournament will be followed quickly by another AFCON in 2028, with hosts still to be confirmed. After that, AFCON will be held every four years, in the same year as the European Championships.
Motsepe said the decision was taken in consultation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, adding that CAF “has to compromise.”
African Nations League (AFCON) to start in 2029
Motsepe also revealed plans for the African Nations League (AFCON), which will be held every year from 2029 during September, October, and November.
All 54 CAF member nations will be divided into four zones. The Northern zone will have six teams, while the Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern zones will each include 16 teams.
Matches will be played in September and October, with the four regional champions meeting in November to decide the overall winner.
Motsepe described the new competition as “the equivalent of an AFCON every year” and said it will be organized in partnership with FIFA to attract major sponsors.
“Every year, Africa’s top players who play in Europe will return to the continent,” he said. “Each year, we will host a tournament with all 54 African countries, with the best players coming here to compete. It will be a world-class competition held every year.”
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