The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, returning the tournament to its traditional two-year cycle.
The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following a review of the proposed changes to the competition’s calendar.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the reversal was necessary because the proposed Africa Nations League, which was intended to replace the AFCON as a biennial competition, would take several years to generate the financial resources needed to support African football.
Motsepe said maintaining the two-year AFCON cycle was in the best interests of African football and CAF’s 54 member associations, as well as African players playing for clubs outside the continent.
The next AFCON will be held in 2027 across Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, with subsequent editions scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033.
CAF explained that the 2030 edition will be skipped because the FIFA World Cup is scheduled for that year, in line with the tradition of avoiding major continental national team tournaments during the World Cup year.
The decision effectively restores the AFCON to its traditional biennial format after CAF had announced plans to move the competition to a four-year cycle.
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