The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle, restoring the tournament to its traditional two-year schedule.
The decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee, with the next edition scheduled for 2027 in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, followed by tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
The reversal follows months of uncertainty over the future of the continent’s flagship national team competition after CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move to a four-year cycle following the 2028 edition.
Under that arrangement, CAF had planned to introduce a new Africa Nations League as a biennial competition, replacing AFCON in the calendar. However, the governing body said the proposed league would take several years to generate the financial resources needed to sustain African football and make its competitions globally competitive.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the Executive Committee reconsidered the earlier decision because of the time required for the new competition to deliver the expected financial and football development benefits.
“The decision by the CAF EXCO that the CAF AFCON should take place every Two Years was based on advancing, protecting and promoting the interest of African Football and CAF’s 54 Member Associations, as well as the interest of African players employed by Football Clubs outside Africa,” Motsepe said in a statement.
He added that CAF was concerned about the years it would take for the proposed Africa Nations League to make substantial financial and football development contributions.
The revised calendar provides for AFCON in 2027 and 2028, followed by editions in 2031 and 2033. There will be no tournament in 2030 because it is a FIFA World Cup year. CAF said the final tournaments of continental national team competitions would not be held during the World Cup year, in line with FIFA tradition.
The 2027 edition will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, marking a major milestone for East African football. Motsepe expressed confidence in the three countries’ ability to stage the competition successfully.
“The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and I am confident that it will be very successful,” he said.
The three countries are preparing to host the expanded continental tournament, which will bring together national teams from across Africa.
Motsepe also described AFCON as more than a football competition, saying it provides a platform for celebrating Africa’s cultures and bringing together people from the continent and the diaspora.
“The AFCON competition is also about celebrating African Football and Africa’s rich and diverse cultures, customs and traditions and bringing people together from Africa’s 54 Countries, the African Diaspora and throughout the world,” he said.
CAF said the decision to restore the biennial format was in the interest of its 54 member associations and would contribute to the development and growth of football across the continent.
The reversal restores the competition’s traditional frequency after CAF’s earlier restructuring plan sought to reduce clashes with European club football and align African competitions more closely with the international calendar.
