AFCON: Organisation Back To Two- year Cycle

T he headline news in African football is the return of the Africa Cup of Nations (AF­ CON) to a two-year cycle. The decision was taken by the Confe­ deration of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee (EXCO) on 29 October 2026. The U-turn did not come as a surprise to many, as CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe had announced at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held from 7 to 9 October 2026, that the Exe­ cutive Committee would reassess and reconsider its decision, taken the previous year, for AFCON to be held every four years. According to CAF, the reassessment was necessitated, among other fac­ tors, by the recognition that the pro­ posed Africa Nations League to be held every two years, would require several years before generating the substantial financial resources nee­ ded to make CAF competitions and African football globally competitive and self-sustaining. CAF’s president also said the decision to retain AFCON every two years was based on advancing, protecting and promoting the interests of African football and CAF’s 54 member asso­ ciations, as well as the interests of African players employed by clubs outside Africa. The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033. There will be no tournament in 2030 because of the World Cup. The 20 December 2025 Bombshell That fateful press conference in Rabat, held during the 2025 AFCON on 20 December 2025, remains fresh in the minds of football lovers. CAF’s president arrived with a full agenda, but save...