Caf reverses course, African Cup of Nations returns to two-year cycle
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced in a statement on 30 October 2026 that the African Cup of Nations will revert to its traditional two-year cycle after reversing a December decision to stage the tournament every four years. The move follows a review by Caf that led the executive body to change course.
Caf had announced in December that Afcon would be held on a four-year basis, but that decision has now been overturned after an internal review. "The decision by the Executive Committee to reinstate the organisation of the Afcon every two years aims to advance, protect and promote the interests of African football and the 54 Caf Member Associations, as well as those of African players playing for clubs outside the continent," Caf president Patrice Motsepe said in a statement. The reversal restores the biennial rhythm that had previously defined the tournament.
Caf had been planning an African Nations League to take over as its biennial competition, but officials acknowledged the new competition would require several years to generate the revenue needed to be self-sufficient. That financial timetable was cited as a factor in re-evaluating the switch away from a two-year Afcon.
The biennial scheduling of Afcon has long conflicted with the wider football calendar, with the majority of recent tournaments taking place during the European club season. Caf says the congested calendar has posed logistical challenges for players who are contracted to clubs outside Africa.
Fifa's expanded 32-team Club World Cup was held in June and July this year, and Caf said that global scheduling pushed it towards selecting mid-season dates for Afcon in recent editions. Those overlapping competitions were part of the context Caf cited when reconsidering the four-year plan.
Under the reinstated cycle, the next African Cup of Nations will take place in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly hosting the tournament, followed by editions in 2028, 2031 and 2033. There will be no tournament in 2030 because of the World Cup.
The 2025 Afcon final saw Senegal initially crowned champions before they were stripped of the title three months later in favour of Morocco.
The next confirmed Afcon is scheduled for 2027, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.