Afcon to switch to four-year cycle from 2028 as Caf unveils african nations league

The Africa Cup of Nations will move to a four-year cycle from 2028, ending more than half a century of biennial tournaments, Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed, Sport360NG reports.

Afcon has been staged every two years since 1968, apart from a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions. Under the new structure, the tournament will be held in 2027 in East Africa and again in 2028, before transitioning to a quadrennial schedule thereafter.

In place of the biennial format, Caf will introduce an African Nations League from 2029, a new annual competition designed to keep elite international football on the continent each year.

“We have the most exciting new structure for African football,” Motsepe said. “I act in the interests of Africa. The global calendar has to be far more synchronised and harmonised.”

Caf also announced an increase in Afcon prize money, with the champions’ reward rising from $7m (£5.2m) to $10m (£7.5m).

The changes were revealed following a meeting of Caf’s executive committee in Morocco, ahead of the opening of the 2025 Afcon finals in Rabat on Sunday.

Afcon’s two-year cycle has long been a source of tension within the global football calendar, with many recent tournaments taking place during the European club season. Despite these challenges, Caf had previously resisted altering the format, citing the importance of Afcon-generated revenue to fund football development across Africa.

In 2019, Caf resolved to stage Afcon in June and July, beginning with the tournament in Egypt. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and climatic conditions in host nations led to the 2021 and 2023 editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast being played in January and February.

Further disruption followed this year with Fifa’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup taking place in June and July, once again forcing Caf to schedule Afcon during the club season. As a result, this year’s tournament in Morocco will be held over the Christmas and New Year period for the first time, with the final set for 18 January.

Dates for the 2027 finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have yet to be confirmed, and that tournament will be followed by another Afcon in 2028, with the hosts still to be announced. From that point, Afcon will be staged every four years, aligning with the same calendar year as the European Championship.

Motsepe said the decision was reached in consultation with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafström, acknowledging that compromise was necessary to align African football more closely with the global schedule.

African Nations League to Launch in 2029

Alongside the Afcon reforms, Motsepe confirmed the creation of the African Nations League, which will run annually from 2029 during the September, October and November international windows.

All 54 Caf member associations will participate, divided into four regional zones: six teams in the Northern zone and 16 teams each in the Eastern, Western, and Central and Southern zones.

Fixtures will be played in September and October, with the winners of each region advancing to a finals stage in November to determine an overall continental champion.

Motsepe described the competition as “the equivalent of an Afcon every year” and said it would be organised in partnership with Fifa to help attract major commercial sponsors.

“Every year in Africa, the best African players who play in Europe will be with us on the continent,” he said. “We will have a world-class competition every year, with all 54 nations and the best players coming home to play.”