Africa Cup of Nations set for possible return to two-year cycle

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering reversing its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, with the tournament potentially returning to a biennial schedule from 2028.

Patrice Motsepe, the CAF president, indicated at a recent football conference in Praia, Cape Verde, that the competition could continue to be held every two years.

The proposal is expected to be put to a vote at CAF’s next ordinary general assembly in Abuja, Nigeria, on 21 November. If approved, it would come only 11 months after the organisation decided, during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, that the tournament would move to a four-year cycle from 2028.

That earlier decision was taken without prior consultation or a vote, a process that angered a significant number of figures in African football as well as supporters.

At the same time, CAF announced the abolition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition reserved for players based in Africa, citing concerns over its profitability.

The prospect of restoring a two-year Africa Cup of Nations has since received broad support from federation presidents. The change was discussed in Praia during a conference on African football, where FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also present. He raised no objections to the competition returning to a biennial format.

Patrick Sangwa, the Belgian-Congolese coach of Burundi, also supports the proposal. He told BBC Sport: “The Africa Cup of Nations is the only genuine high-level competition in Africa. CHAN has been abolished, and the sporting case for holding it every two years seems obvious to me.

“That would allow teams such as Burundi, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia and others, who have reached the finals in recent years, to hope of taking part more regularly.”

Sangwa, who hopes to lead the Burundi national team, known as the Hirondelles, at the next edition, does not base his position solely on sporting considerations.

CAF had previously said that the move to a four-year schedule would be balanced by the creation of an African Nations League, following competitions already established in Europe and the CONCACAF region.

The 2025 decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations calendar was widely understood in Africa to have been encouraged by Infantino. His presence in Praia, and his apparent acceptance of a return to a two-year cycle, have added to expectations that CAF will change course.

The financial implications are also significant. The Africa Cup of Nations is CAF’s main source of income, while staging it once every four years would have forced the organisation to find additional revenue to avoid financial losses.

CAF now appears unwilling to take that risk, making a return to a biennial tournament increasingly likely should the proposal receive approval in Abuja.