AFCON returns to two years according to CAF

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Executive Committee (“EXCO”) today unanimously decided that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON”) will return to taking place every Two Years.

The President of CAF Dr Patrice Motsepe announced at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde which was held from 7-9 October 2026, that the CAF EXCO would be re-assessing and reconsidering the decision it took last year, for the AFCON to take place every Four Years.

This reassessment and reconsideration was necessitated by, amongst other matters, the recognition that the proposed new Africa Nations League Pan-African Competition which was supposed to replace the current AFCON and take place every two years, would require several years in order to be in a position, to contribute the substantial financial resources necessary, for the CAF Competitions and African Football to be globally competitive and self-supporting.

The CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe said: “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.

The next TotalEnergies CAF AFCON will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

The subsequent AFCONs thereafter will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033.