AFCON to hold every two years again — CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its previous decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming the tournament will return to a biennial format. The CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) unanimously approved the move, as announced by President Patrice Motsepe following a Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde held from October 7 to 9, 2026.

According to Punch Nigeria, the decision follows a reassessment of an earlier plan to move AFCON to a four-year cycle and introduce a new Africa Nations League every two years. CAF indicated that the proposed Nations League would require several years to generate the financial resources necessary to support African football development and ensure competitions are globally competitive and self-sustaining.

Motsepe stated the EXCO's position was guided by the need to protect the interests of African football, its 54 member associations, and African players competing for clubs outside the continent, according to Punch Nigeria. While the biennial schedule has been restored, MyJoyOnline Ghana notes that CAF’s announcement did not specify which edition of the tournament would be affected.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, MyJoyOnline Ghana — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.