Africa Cup of Nations set for four-year cycle after 2028 tournament

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has confirmed that the continent’s premier tournament will transition from a biennial to a quadrennial cycle starting in 2028 in a landmark announcement on the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The move marks a radical shift in African football, intended to alleviate chronic scheduling conflicts with the global calendar.

Speaking in Rabat ahead of tomorrow’s opening match between Morocco and Comoros, Motsepe outlined the new roadmap: “Just by way of information, in 2027, we’ll be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The AFCON after that, as part of this restructuring of the global, the best African players… will participate and we will decide where the final is going to be held in North Africa”.

To maintain momentum between these four-year intervals, CAF will launch an annual African Nations League in 2029.

Motsepe noted that this arrangement ensures “you’ll have the equivalent of an AFCON every year,” featuring elite players “playing in African football at the highest level of the continent every year”.

The restructuring follows years of intense friction between CAF, FIFA, and European clubs. The 2025 edition itself faced significant delays, ultimately being moved to a December start to avoid clashing with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the summer.

European clubs, long reluctant to release key players during their mid-season campaigns, successfully pressured FIFA to delay the mandatory release date for the 2025 tournament to December 15—just six days before kickoff.

This decision drew sharp criticism from African coaches, who warned that the shortened preparation window disrupts national team training.

This change adds to a decade of volatility for the tournament, which has seen its field expand to 24 teams and its timing fluctuate between January and June to manage both weather concerns and club pressures.

By moving to a four-year cycle and introducing an annual Nations League, Motsepe signaled a commitment to a “significantly more synchronized and harmonized” global schedule, aiming to protect the interests of African stars playing worldwide while securing the tournament’s long-term commercial value.