The proposed competition was designed to replace the existing biennial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) determined that it would be unable to provide the necessary financial backing in the near future. CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the decision was made to safeguard the interests of African football, the confederation’s 54 member associations and African players contracted to clubs outside the continent.
The next edition of AFCON is scheduled for 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda serving as co-hosts, followed by tournaments in 2028, 2031 and 2033. The revised calendar takes into consideration the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with CAF confirming that AFCON and other continental national team competitions will not stage their final tournaments in a World Cup year.
The decision effectively reverses a significant proposed change to the African football calendar, which had faced criticism and sparked concerns over AFCON’s commercial appeal, global visibility and relevance to member associations. Traditionally, the tournament has been held every two years since 1968, with the only exception being the one-year interval between the 2012 and 2013 editions. A return to the biennial format will therefore ensure that Africa’s premier national team competition maintains its established position on the continent’s sporting calendar.
