Africa Cup of Nations returns to two-year cycle as CAF unanimously scraps four-year plan
The Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously decided to return the Africa Cup of Nations to a two-year cycle, reversing the decision it took last year to stage the tournament every four years. That change would have made room for a new competition, the African Nations League, to be played every two years in its place.
CAF said the reassessment was needed partly because the proposed Nations League would take several years before it could provide the substantial financial resources required for CAF competitions and African football to be globally competitive and self-supporting. CAF President Patrice Motsepe had announced at the confederation's strategy conference in Cabo Verde, held from 7 to 9 October, that the Executive Committee would re-examine the decision.
Under the announced schedule, the next edition will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027, followed by tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033. There will be no edition in 2030, the year of the FIFA World Cup, in line with the tradition of not holding continental national-team finals in a World Cup year. Motsepe said the decision serves the interests of African football and CAF's 54 member associations, as well as African players employed by clubs outside the continent.
The Africa Cup of Nations is one of the oldest continental national-team competitions. It was first held in 1957 and has been played every two years for most of its history, making it a fixed date for fans across the continent and a key window for discovering and marketing talent.
Al Majlis Analysis: The decision reflects a recognition that the Africa Cup of Nations is not just a tournament but the most important source of revenue for African football and its biggest global shop window, and that giving up a biennial edition before the replacement competition had matured would have left a financial gap that is hard to fill. A two-year cycle also gives smaller national teams more chances to appear on the continental stage and encourages host countries to invest in stadiums and infrastructure. The challenge will remain the relationship with European clubs that employ many of the continent's stars, since the restored format needs careful coordination with the international calendar. The Arab national teams of North Africa, led by Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, will be among the biggest beneficiaries of the tournament's return to its traditional rhythm.