AFCON Moves To Four-Year Cycle; New Nations League Announced
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will move to a four-year cycle after the 2027 edition, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed.
In a landmark announcement made on the eve of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Motsepe revealed that Africa’s premier football tournament will transition from its long-standing biennial format to a quadrennial cycle starting in 2028.
The decision represents a major shift in African football and is aimed at easing persistent scheduling conflicts with the global football calendar.
Speaking in Rabat ahead of Sunday’s opening match between hosts Morocco and Comoros, Motsepe outlined the new roadmap for the competition.
“Just by way of information, in 2027 we’ll be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda,” Motsepe said.
“The AFCON after that, as part of this restructuring of the global calendar, will ensure that the best African players participate. We will also decide where that tournament will be hosted in North Africa.”
To maintain continuity and competitive football during the four-year gaps between AFCON tournaments, CAF will introduce an annual African Nations League starting in 2029.
Motsepe explained that this structure would ensure fans still experience elite continental competition each year.
“You’ll have the equivalent of an AFCON every year,” he said, adding that the continent’s top players will be “playing African football at the highest level every season.”
The restructuring follows years of tension between CAF, FIFA and European clubs, particularly over player availability and congested schedules. The 2025 AFCON itself faced multiple delays and was eventually moved to a December start to avoid clashing with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup scheduled for the summer.
European clubs, which have long resisted releasing players during their domestic seasons, successfully lobbied FIFA to delay the mandatory release date for the 2025 tournament until 15 December — just six days before kickoff.
That decision drew criticism from African coaches, who warned that the reduced preparation time would negatively affect national teams.
The latest change adds to a decade of adjustments for AFCON, which has expanded to 24 teams and seen its scheduling shift between January and June to accommodate weather conditions and club demands.
By adopting a four-year cycle and launching an annual Nations League, Motsepe has signaled CAF’s intent to create a more synchronized and harmonized global football calendar — one that protects the interests of African players competing worldwide while safeguarding the tournament’s long-term sporting and commercial value.
