The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scrapped its plan to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, opting instead to retain the tournament’s traditional two-year schedule.
The decision received unanimous backing from CAF’s Executive Committee (EXCO), with President Patrice Motsepe confirming the development after the organisation’s Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde, held from October 7 to 9, 2026.
The reversal comes after CAF reconsidered its earlier proposal to extend AFCON to a four-year cycle while introducing a biennial Africa Nations League as an alternative competition.
CAF explained that the proposed Nations League would take several years to deliver the significant financial returns required to drive football development across the continent and make its competitions globally competitive and financially sustainable.
In a statement published on its website on Friday, Motsepe said the EXCO reached its decision after considering the broader interests of African football, its member associations and players based abroad.
“The decision by the CAF EXCO that the CAF AFCON should take place every two years was based on advancing, protecting and promoting the interest of African football and CAF’s 54 member associations, as well as the interest of African players employed by football clubs outside Africa,” Motsepe said.
He further noted that the governing body had concerns over how long the proposed Africa Nations League would take to deliver the anticipated financial and developmental gains.
