The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially restored the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to its traditional two-year cycle after abandoning its earlier plan to hold the tournament every four years.
The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO), marking a major policy shift for African football.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe had earlier announced during the CAF Strategy Conference held in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9, 2026, that the Executive Committee would review the controversial decision to adopt a four-year AFCON cycle.
According to CAF, the proposal to replace the biennial AFCON with an Africa Nations League would require several years to generate enough revenue to sustain football development and support competitions across the continent.
Motsepe said the executive committee decided to return AFCON to a two-year cycle to safeguard the interests of African football, the continent’s 54 member associations and African players representing clubs outside Africa.
“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,” Motsepe said.
Under the new schedule, the next AFCON will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027, while subsequent editions will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
Motsepe explained that there would be no AFCON in 2030 because of the FIFA World Cup, noting that CAF’s national team competitions would not be held in the same year as the global football tournament.
The CAF president expressed confidence that the East African nations would successfully host the 2027 championship and deliver a memorable tournament.
He also described AFCON as more than a football competition, saying it remains a platform that celebrates Africa’s rich cultural diversity and unites people from the continent, the African diaspora and football fans around the world.
The return to a biennial AFCON is expected to strengthen football development, increase opportunities for national teams and players, improve revenues for CAF and its member associations, and preserve one of Africa’s biggest sporting events.
