CAF has reversed itself. On Thursday 29 October, its Executive Committee unanimously agreed that the Africa Cup of Nations will be played every two years again, undoing the four-year cycle announced last year.
The next edition is unchanged. It still goes ahead in 2027, hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed in the announcement.
How CAF got here
Motsepe announced the four-year plan at the press conference before AFCON 2025 in Morocco, with the new cycle starting in 2028. The pitch was a rarer, bigger tournament that would earn more and ease the clashes between club and national-team football. The Africa Nations League was supposed to fill the two-year gap.
That is the part that did not hold. CAF says the Nations League would take several years to bring in the money the continent’s competitions need to fund themselves. Motsepe signalled the rethink at CAF’s strategy conference in Cabo Verde earlier this month, and he framed the final call as being in the interest of the 54 member associations and of African players at clubs outside the continent.
Where the Super Eagles stand
Players and coaches never warmed to the four-year idea. Ademola Lookman called it a shame during AFCON 2025. Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle told SABC Sport on 11 October that a tournament every four years makes it hard for teams to develop, and that hosting brings money into the country.
Nigeria still has work to do to be at the next one. The team lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau in September and has more qualifiers in November. The Super Eagles have not lifted the trophy since 2013.
Sources: CAF, TheCable, EWN, Africa Soccer, Legit.ng, Peoples Gazette.
