The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has officially discarded its proposal to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) every four years, confirming a return to the competition's traditional biennial format. Just 10 months after startling the sport by announcing a shift to a quadrennial cycle starting in 2028, Caf president Patrice Motsepe confirmed the dramatic reversal. Motsepe explained that returning to the two-year arrangement was done in the "best interest of African football" and was firmly grounded in "advancing, protecting and promoting" the continental game following discussions at a strategy conference in Cape Verde.
The abandoned four-year plan had originally been revealed by Motsepe alongside Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, with organisers aiming to ease recurring disputes with European clubs over player releases and harmonise the international match calendar. However, the decision drew sharp scrutiny because Caf's executive committee initially approved it without a full vote at a general assembly. Critics, such as Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi, pointed out that Afcon serves as the financial "locomotive" funding all other continental tournaments, while Football Association of Zambia official Sydney Mungala highlighted that the two-year cycle had historically served member federations well.
Substantial economic considerations ultimately drove Caf's 54 member associations and executive committee to restore the status quo. The flagship tournament is Caf's primary financial lifeline, with the 2025 finals in Morocco projected to yield $114m (£85m) in profit from $192m (£143m) in total revenue, making up 66% of Caf's total competition earnings. While an annual 54-team Africa Nations League proposed for September 2029 was meant to replace lost earnings, memories of the short-lived Africa Super League—which collapsed after just one edition despite $200m (£149m) revenue projections—raised hesitation. Motsepe acknowledged concerns that any new competition would require several years before providing the necessary commercial stability.
The diplomatic shift also intersected with global football politics, with Mezahi suggesting that African leaders offered support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino's re-election campaign in exchange for safeguarding their biennial tournament. Attention now turns to the upcoming tournament schedule, beginning with the 2027 finals co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July, where Motsepe has demanded a "heightened sense of urgency" regarding infrastructure preparations. Caf will then host another tournament in 2028, with subsequent editions locked in for 2031 and 2033 to prevent scheduling clashes with the Fifa World Cup.