Africa Cup of Nations reverts back to being held every two years

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent's premier football tournament, will revert to a biennial format, according to Africa's football governing body, the African Football Confederation (CAF). This decision comes after CAF previously opted to hold the event every four years. The change was announced by CAF's Executive Committee on Friday, marking a reversal of last year's decision.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the move was influenced by the financial viability of AFCON's replacement competition, the Africa Nations League Pan-African Competition. This new tournament, which was intended to be identical to AFCON and held every two years, required several years to become financially sustainable and globally competitive. Motsepe also highlighted the impact on African players employed by clubs outside Africa, who may lose key players every two years instead of four.

The next AFCON will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with the following editions scheduled for 2028, 2031, and 2033. The three-year gap between the 2028 tournament and the subsequent one is attributed to FIFA's World Cup tradition. Motsepe emphasized that the 2025 renewal outcome, which involves Senegal's appeal against the decision stripping them of the title and awarding it to hosts Morocco, remains unresolved pending a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expected at the end of November.