Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Sports Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced major changes to its competition calendar, confirming that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will move to a four-year cycle starting in 2028, alongside the launch of a new African Nations League in 2029.
The move ends more than five decades of biennial AFCON tournaments. The competition has been staged every two years since 1968, except for a scheduling adjustment between the 2012 and 2013 editions.
Under the new structure, the 2027 finals, to be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, will be followed by tournaments in 2028 and 2032.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the decision was reached after consultations with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafström.
“We were required to compromise in order to align African football with the global football calendar. This decision was taken in the best interests of the game on the continent,” Motsepe said.
Motsepe stressed that the changes are aimed at easing congestion in the international calendar while ensuring African football remains competitive and financially sustainable.
“We have listened to all stakeholders, including clubs, players and international partners, and we believe this structure creates long-term stability for African football,” he added.
Alongside the AFCON reforms, CAF also unveiled plans for an African Nations League, a new annual competition involving all 54 CAF member associations. The tournament is scheduled to begin in 2029 and will be played during the September, October and November international windows.
According to Motsepe, the Nations League will be organised along regional lines, with teams divided into Northern, Eastern, Western and Central, and Southern Africa.
“This competition will be the equivalent of an AFCON every year. It will allow our national teams to play meaningful matches regularly while attracting strong commercial partners,” Motsepe said.
Group matches will be played in September and October, with regional champions progressing to a final phase in November to determine the overall winner.
The changes come after years of tension between CAF and European clubs, as AFCON has often been held during the European season. While CAF has previously defended the two-year cycle as essential for generating revenue to reinvest in the game, Motsepe said the new structure balances financial sustainability with global scheduling demands.
“Our objective is to grow African football while respecting the international football ecosystem,” he said.
The overhaul of CAF’s competition calendar marks a turning point for African football, as the governing body seeks to balance global scheduling demands with the need for sustained growth on the continent.
With AFCON moving to a four-year cycle and the introduction of an annual African Nations League, CAF hopes the reforms will reduce calendar congestion, strengthen commercial opportunities and provide more consistent, high-quality competition for national teams across Africa.
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