By Salma El-Sakka
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations will revert to a biennial schedule, abandoning a previous plan to hold the tournament every four years. The decision was announced by the CAF Executive Committee on Friday.
Revised tournament schedule
The next edition will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027, followed by tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033. CAF will not stage an AFCON in 2030, maintaining its tradition of avoiding a World Cup year.
Funding and development rationale
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the move aims to advance and protect the interests of African football and its 54 member associations, as well as African players abroad. The governing body stated that the proposed CAF Nations League would take years to generate sufficient revenue to sustain development across the continent.
