CAF to announce decision on AFCON’s two-year cycle soon – Motsepe

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe says a decision on whether the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to a two-year cycle will be announced soon.

Motsepe said there had been widespread support from member associations for the tournament to be staged every two years, adding that CAF would make a decision in the best interests of African football.

Speaking during a CNN Global Perspectives interview in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, he confirmed that the continental governing body had received several submissions on the matter.

“I made an announcement a few weeks ago in Cape Verde that we will be reviewing, and there was popular support for going back to two years, which is something that I have always supported,” Motsepe said.

“We will take the right decision. I am very clear in my mind; I have received a lot of correspondence from our member associations on what should happen, to have the AFCON every two years.

“A decision will be taken, and I am confident the right decision will be made, and we will announce that decision very soon.”

Earlier this week, CAF interim General Secretary Samson Adamu’s office sent a memorandum to all 54 member associations, asking them to submit their views on whether AFCON should be held every two or four years. The deadline for submissions was Wednesday.

CAF reconsiders four-year AFCON cycle

In December 2025, during the AFCON tournament in Morocco, Motsepe announced that the CAF Executive Committee had agreed to move the competition from a two-year to a four-year cycle.

The proposal attracted criticism from sections of the African football community, with concerns about its potential impact on the continent’s football calendar and the financial benefits generated by the tournament.

AFCON remains a major source of revenue for CAF, helping to finance other competitions and football development activities across the continent.

However, multiple reports suggest that Morocco and FIFA played a significant role in influencing the decision, with funding support reportedly offered to help compensate CAF for the financial implications of holding the tournament less frequently.

Motsepe indicated during the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde earlier this month that the organisation was reviewing the four-year plan following support for a return to the previous format.

A return to a two-year cycle would mark a reversal of the position announced in Morocco and could have significant implications for CAF’s competition calendar and finances.

Motsepe’s future at CAF in focus

The interview also raised questions about Motsepe’s future as CAF president, amid speculation that he could leave the position before the end of his current term in 2029.

The speculation has been linked to developments within South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), which is scheduled to hold its presidential elections in December 2027.

Motsepe was asked about his future over the next 18 months, although further details of his response were not provided in the available account.

The South African businessman was elected CAF president in March 2021 and re-elected unopposed in March 2025 for a second term, which is due to run until 2029.