CAF Explains U-Turn on AFCON Frequency, Cites Financial Viability and World Cup Clash
CAF has said part of the reasoning for performing a U-turn on its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years was the length of time it would take for AFCON’s replacement competition, the Africa Nations League Pan-African Competition, to become financially viable.
“We were also concerned by the several years required before the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African competition, (which was supposed to be identical to the current AFCON and take place every two years), could make the substantial financial and football development contributions for African Football and CAF competitions to be globally competitive and self-supporting,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said in the statement.
Concerns Over Club Commitments
Motsepe added that the decision was also taken in the interests “of African players employed by football clubs outside Africa.”
That may prove contentious with their clubs looking at losing key players every two years as opposed to four.
Upcoming Tournament Schedule
Next year’s tournament is being co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and CAF said the following three would take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
“The forthcoming FIFA World Cup will take place in 2030 and in accordance with the FIFA tradition, the final tournament of the AFCON and other Confederations National Teams competitions may not take place during the year of the FIFA World Cup,” said Motsepe, explaining the three-year gap between the 2028 edition and the following one.
2025 Winner Still in Abeyance
The winner of the 2025 renewal is still in abeyance, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) likely to rule at the end of November on Senegal’s appeal of the decision to strip them of the title and award it to hosts Morocco.
What This Means
CAF’s U-turn restores the biennial AFCON format, which had been under threat from a proposed shift to a four-year cycle. While the decision has been welcomed by many who feared the loss of Africa’s flagship tournament, clubs in Europe may be concerned about losing their African stars more frequently.
The 2025 tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will be the first to test the new schedule, with the 2028 edition to follow before the 2030 World Cup hiatus.