AFCON to Hold Every Four Years as CAF Unveils African Nations League

The Confederation of African Football has announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will move from a biennial schedule to a four-year cycle beginning in 2028, marking a major shift in the organisation of the continent’s flagship football tournament.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe made the announcement on Saturday during the kick-off press conference for the 2025 AFCON in Rabat, explaining that the decision was aimed at supporting the long-term growth of African football and easing pressure on players.

Under the new format, the next AFCON after the 2027 tournament to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will take place in 2028, followed by editions in 2032 and 2036.

Motsepe said the change would help address ongoing tensions between clubs and national teams over player availability. He noted that European clubs are often reluctant to release African players for international duty, particularly during congested football calendars.

“It is unfair for us to put the players in the middle of the fight that we have because their clubs say to them that they don’t want you to go to Africa and they are correct, but CAF also needs them for their countries,” he said. “So, we are solving this in the first instance for us and secondly our African players and in the third instance, we are going to get so much more money than having the AFCON every two years.”

During the same press conference, Motsepe also announced the creation of a new African Nations League, an annual competition scheduled to begin in 2029. The tournament will feature teams grouped into different regional divisions across the continent.

In addition, CAF revealed a significant increase in prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations. The winners of the 2025 tournament will receive $10 million, more than double the $4 million awarded to Ivory Coast for winning the previous edition.