CAF backs down: Africa Cup of Nations will be held every two years

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has backed away from its plan to move the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle. On Thursday, the Executive Committee unanimously approved a return to the tournament's traditional two-year format. The decision came just a year after CAF announced, in December 2025, a plan that would have replaced the tournament with the CAF Nations League.

The four-year plan was met with strong opposition from many stakeholders in African football. The tournament is one of the most valuable commercial assets in African football. Broadcasting rights, sponsorships and other commercial agreements generate significant revenue. Because the Nations League would take years to generate comparable income, replacing the tournament would have created serious financial uncertainty.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the decision aims to protect the interests of the 54 member federations and of African-born players whose clubs are outside Africa. Earlier this month, at a strategy conference in Cape Verde, Motsepe had signaled that the plan would be reconsidered.

Under the new schedule, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will co-host the 2027 tournament. This is seen as an important development for football in East Africa. The tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033 will follow. There will be no Africa Cup of Nations in 2030, as it is a World Cup year.