CAF confirms 2028, 2031 and 2033 AFCON editions as commercial bidding opens

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the next three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the 2027 tournament will be held in 2028, 2031 and 2033, as the governing body opens the bidding process for commercial rights.

In an amended notice issued on November 3, CAF set November 16 as the deadline for interested companies to submit proposals for commercial partnerships covering the three tournaments and their respective qualifying campaigns.

The deadline is Monday, November 16, at 5pm Cairo time.

The announcement follows CAF’s Executive Committee’s unanimous decision on October 29 to restore AFCON’s traditional two-year cycle, reversing an earlier plan to stage the competition every four years.

The revised commercial tender, initially published on July 23, 2026, has been updated to reflect the new tournament calendar.

CAF reverses decision to introduce four-year AFCON cycle

The confirmation of the three editions comes after CAF abandoned its proposed change to the frequency of Africa’s biggest international football competition.

The governing body announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move to a four-year cycle, with a new Africa Nations League competition introduced every two years to fill the gap.

However, CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the proposed Nations League would take several years to generate the financial resources required to support African football and its member associations.

Following a reassessment, the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to return AFCON to its traditional biennial format.

Motsepe said the decision was intended to protect the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations and African players representing clubs outside the continent.

The revised calendar also considers the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with CAF indicating that the final stages of AFCON and other continental national-team competitions may not be staged during a World Cup year.

This accounts for the absence of a 2030 edition from the confirmed schedule, with the tournament moving from 2028 to 2031 before returning in 2033.

East Africa prepares for historic 2027 AFCON

Before the three editions covered by the commercial tender, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament, officially named AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will be the first edition in the competition’s history to be jointly organised by three countries.

It will also mark AFCON’s return to East Africa, with the three host nations sharing hosting responsibilities as they prepare to welcome the continent’s leading national teams and supporters.

The tournament will follow Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 edition, which attracted significant international attention and further raised AFCON’s commercial profile.

Morocco 2025 success highlights growing commercial value

CAF has pointed to the success of the Morocco-hosted 2025 tournament as evidence of AFCON’s expanding global appeal.

According to figures released by the confederation, the competition generated more than 3.2 billion television audience contacts and six billion views across digital platforms.

A separate report published in March 2026 revealed a 61% increase in viewership across European, Asian and South American markets compared with previous editions.

CAF also reported a 50% rise in international broadcast partners in Europe and other key markets compared with the 2023 tournament hosted by Ivory Coast.

The Morocco edition further recorded 285 million digital engagements, while more than one million fan-generated videos were published using the competition’s official TikTok hashtag.

The figures highlight the growing influence of international broadcasting, digital platforms and commercial partnerships in taking African football to audiences beyond the continent.

With the next three AFCON editions now confirmed, CAF is looking to build on that commercial momentum by securing partners for the tournaments and their qualifying competitions.