The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed that it could retain the two-year cycle for AFCON, Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, during the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde on Friday, October 9, 2026.
Despite officially announcing its transition to a four-year cycle after the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by three African nations—Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda—the federation is reconsidering its decision following widespread criticism.
During part of his speech, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the federation was considering returning to the two-year cycle and that the plan was currently under review:
“We are studying the possibility of returning to holding the Africa Cup of Nations every two years. This matter is currently under study.”
In June 2026, CAF invited its member associations to bid to host AFCON in 2028, 2032 and 2036. The proposed editions are four years apart.
CAF stated:
“CAF will host a competition involving Senior Men’s National Teams every year except during the year of the FIFA World Cup.”
According to CAF, the four-year AFCON cycle was part of a broader restructuring aimed at aligning African football with the international calendar, reducing fixture clashes between clubs and national teams, and ensuring African players competing in top European leagues could participate more regularly in international competitions. CAF also introduced the African Nations League to guarantee a major senior national-team competition every year, except during the FIFA World Cup year.
Although Motsepe reportedly indicated that the two-year cycle was under consideration, CAF had yet to issue an official statement confirming a reversal of its decision as of the time of publication.
The CAF Strategy Conference, held in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cabo Verde, was attended by notable football stakeholders, including CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, Cabo Verde Head of State Dr Janira Hopffer Almada, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Cabo Verde Football Federation President Mario Semedo.
