The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will in future be staged every four years rather than every two, a landmark shift announced on Saturday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that reshapes the continent’s flagship tournament, its finances, and its long-running tensions with the global football calendar.
The decision has been widely welcomed across the football world, particularly in Europe, where coaches and clubs have long complained about losing key African players in the middle of domestic seasons.
The decision, announced on Saturday by CAF president Patrice Motsepe after an executive committee meeting in Rabat, Morocco, represents a major recalibration of African football’s calendar and commercial strategy. It also brings long-awaited relief to a dispute that has simmered for decades between African national teams and European clubs.
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Under the new framework, the next AFCON will still hold in 2027, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, followed by another edition in 2028. From then on, the tournament will be staged every four years. To avoid a long gap in competitive fixtures and revenue, CAF plans to introduce an African Nations League from 2029, to be played annually.
For European clubs, the shift addresses a recurring source of tension. AFCON has traditionally been held during the European season, often in January and February, forcing clubs to release African players at crucial points in league campaigns, cup competitions, and continental tournaments. Managers have regularly complained that the timing disrupts squad planning and competitive balance, especially for clubs heavily reliant on African talent.
This has made AFCON a frequent flashpoint between clubs and national federations. While European Championships and the World Cup are played during the off-season, African players have often had to choose between club commitments and national duty at moments when their teams needed them most.
The new four-year cycle is expected to ease those pressures. By moving away from a congested and unpredictable schedule, CAF is signaling a willingness to align more closely with the global football calendar.
Motsepe said the reform was driven in large part by concern for players caught in the middle.
“It is in the interests of the teams, clubs and players,” he said. “I can’t have players leaving their clubs in Europe in the mid-season. It’s wrong. We’ve got a duty to the players. We know how frustrating it is for the players when their club says they are needed but they are also needed for the country. It’s unfair to the players.”
Coaches in Europe have quietly welcomed the announcement, seeing it as a step toward greater stability and fairness. Over the years, several high-profile managers have voiced frustration about losing players to AFCON during decisive stretches of the season, sometimes affecting title races or relegation battles. While few clubs openly oppose the tournament, many have argued that Africa’s flagship competition should not place its players at a structural disadvantage compared with their counterparts from Europe or South America.
The timing of AFCON has been a long-standing challenge even within Africa. CAF attempted to resolve the issue by shifting the tournament to mid-year from 2019, but climate conditions and scheduling conflicts repeatedly forced reversals. The 2022 edition in Cameroon and the 2024 tournament in the Ivory Coast were both held at the start of the year, reigniting club-versus-country tensions. This year’s tournament in Morocco was itself moved back by six months after FIFA introduced an expanded Club World Cup in June and July.
Financial considerations also played a central role in the decision. AFCON accounts for an estimated 80% of CAF’s revenue, making it the confederation’s single most important commercial asset. That dependence previously made CAF resistant to proposals, including from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to reduce the tournament’s frequency. The introduction of an African Nations League is intended to plug that revenue gap by creating a new, regular source of broadcast and sponsorship income.
“Historically the Nations Cup was the prime resource for us, but now we will get financial resources every year,” Motsepe said. “It is an exciting new structure which will contribute to sustainable financial independence and ensure more synchronization with the FIFA calendar.”
CAF has also sweetened the immediate transition with increased prize money. The winners of the ongoing tournament in Morocco will earn $10 million, up from $7 million awarded to the Ivory Coast at the last edition, signaling an effort to keep AFCON commercially attractive even as its frequency changes.
While some purists may worry that a four-year cycle could dilute the tournament’s presence, many stakeholders see the reform as overdue. It promises fewer mid-season disruptions for European clubs and coaches, while for players, it offers relief from having to navigate conflicting loyalties.