CAF second vice-president Kurt Okraku has confirmed that the Confederation of African Football’s Executive Council unanimously agreed to move the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle, beginning in 2028.
The decision, first announced by CAF president Patrice Motsepe ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, marks a significant shift from the tournament’s long-standing biennial format.
Speaking in an interview with Metro TV, Okraku explained that the move was largely influenced by commercial considerations, player welfare, and the need to avoid recurring clashes with football calendars on other continents—particularly Europe.
“We unanimously agreed to switch to a four-year AFCON cycle,” Okraku revealed. “The decision was driven by commercial considerations and the need to schedule the competition at a time that will not be worrying to the main actors, especially the players. We also wanted to end clashes with our counterparts from other continents, particularly Europe.”
The announcement has generated mixed reactions across the football community, with some pundits and fans criticising CAF for appearing to bow to pressure from European football stakeholders who have long complained about the tournament’s January scheduling.
AFCON has been staged every two years since 1968, with the only deviation being a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions. The current format will officially conclude with the 2027 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
From 2028 onward, the continent’s flagship tournament will adopt a four-year cycle. Motsepe has also disclosed plans to introduce an African Nations League, expected to be held annually starting in 2029.
Scheduling challenges have plagued AFCON in recent years. The 2021 edition was pushed to 2022 due to infrastructure delays in Cameroon, while the 2023 tournament was rescheduled to early 2024 for similar reasons.
CAF previously attempted to move the competition from its traditional January–February window to June–July, but only the 2019 edition in Egypt was successfully staged during that period, with extreme weather conditions negatively impacting performances.
The recently concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco saw Senegal defeat hosts Morocco to clinch the title for the second time in their history. The Atlas Lions, aiming to end a 50-year trophy drought on home soil, fell short against a resilient Teranga Lions side.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles also finished the tournament strongly, defeating Egypt in the third-place playoff to secure the bronze medal.
