The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will now be staged every four years from 2028, ending more than six decades of being a biennial tournament, Afrosport reports.
Patrice Motsepe, President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), announced the decision following a meeting of the organisation’s executive committee in Morocco, ahead of the start of the 2025 AFCON finals.
The move will come into effect after the 2027 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and a subsequent AFCON edition in 2028.
AFCON has been held every two years since 1968, with the only recent disruption coming in 2013 when CAF adjusted the calendar to avoid clashing with the FIFA World Cup. However, the tournament’s regular mid-season scheduling has long caused tension with European clubs, where the majority of Africa’s top players are based.
Motsepe said the change was made in consultation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, as part of efforts to better align African football with the global calendar.
“The global calendar has to be significantly more synchronised and harmonised,” Motsepe said. “We have to compromise in the interests of Africa.”
From 2028 onward, AFCON will be held in the same year as the European Championships.
