The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has reversed its recent strategy, confirming that the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will return to its traditional two-year cycle. In December, the continental governing body had announced that the tournament would switch to being held every four years, but that plan has now been overturned following a formal review.
Under the previously proposed framework, Caf had planned to establish an African Nations League to replace Afcon as its biennial showpiece. However, the governing body acknowledged that generating the revenue required for that competition to become fully self-sufficient would take several years. "The decision by the Executive Committee to reinstate the organisation of the Afcon every two years aims to advance, protect and promote the interests of African football and the 54 Caf Member Associations, as well as those of African players playing for clubs outside the continent," Caf president Patrice Motsepe said in a statement.
Staging Afcon on a biennial basis has long presented logistical issues for the broader football calendar, with the vast majority of recent tournaments taking place midway through the European club season. Scheduling pressures were further complicated when Fifa staged its expanded 32-team Club World Cup in June and July this year, a move that forced Caf to choose mid-season dates for its own competition.
Looking ahead, the next edition of Afcon will take place in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda serving as joint hosts. Subsequent tournaments are slated for 2028, 2031, and 2033, with no competition scheduled in 2030 due to the World Cup. The calendar reset follows dramatic developments in the 2025 Afcon final, where Senegal were initial winners and crowned champions before having their title stripped three months later in favour of Morocco.