The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the reinstatement of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) format, with the tournament set to be held every two years, overturning its earlier plan to stage the competition every four years.
The decision was reached on Thursday, October 29, 2026, during a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO), where members unanimously agreed to restore the long-standing format that had been used throughout much of the tournament's history.
The move follows months of debate and criticism over CAF's plan to change the AFCON calendar, which was announced in December 2025.
Why Has CAF Changed Its Decision?
In December 2025, CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced plans to hold AFCON every four years, starting after the 2028 edition.
Under that plan, CAF intended to introduce a new competition called the African Nations League, which would be held every two years and take AFCON's place in the regular competition calendar.
However, the proposal faced several challenges, particularly concerns about whether the new competition would generate enough revenue to support the development of African football.
Motsepe explained that the African Nations League would need several years before it could generate the substantial revenue required to strengthen CAF, its 54 member associations and the development of football across the continent.
For that reason, CAF has considered it important to continue using AFCON as a major source of revenue and a driver of African football development.
New AFCON Schedule Through to 2033
According to CAF's announcement, the next tournament will still take place in 2027, followed by further editions in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
The schedule indicates that CAF has also taken into account the 2030 FIFA World Cup calendar, meaning AFCON will not be held that year.
The announced schedule is as follows:
2027: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
2028: The next edition of AFCON.
2030: No AFCON due to the FIFA World Cup.
2031: The following edition.
2033: The subsequent edition.
