Rabat – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the years of the next three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), while setting November 16 as the deadline for companies interested in acquiring commercial rights to submit their bids.
In an amendment notice issued on November 3, CAF confirmed that the three editions covered by its commercial tender will take place in 2028, 2031, and 2033.
The announcement follows the Executive Committee’s unanimous decision on October 29 to restore the competition’s traditional biennial format, ending plans to move AFCON to a four-year cycle.
The revised commercial tender covers the appointment of partners for the three tournaments, including commercial rights linked to both the final competitions and their respective qualifying campaigns.
CAF initially published its invitation to tender on July 23, 2026, before updating it to reflect the revised competition calendar.
Interested companies must submit their proposals by Monday, November 16, at 5 p.m. Cairo local time, in accordance with the amended tender requirements.
CAF reverses four-year AFCON plan
The confirmation comes days after CAF reversed its previous decision to organize AFCON every four years.
The governing body had announced the change in December 2025, with plans to introduce a new Africa Nations League competition to take place every two years and fill the gap left by the revised AFCON calendar.
However, CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the proposed competition would require several years before generating the financial resources needed to support African football and its member associations.
Following a reassessment, the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to restore AFCON’s two-year cycle.
Motsepe said the decision aims to protect the interests of African football, CAF’s 54 member associations, and African players competing for clubs outside the continent.
The revised calendar also takes the 2030 FIFA World Cup into account. CAF indicated that the final stages of AFCON and other continental national-team competitions may not take place during a FIFA World Cup year.
This explains the absence of a 2030 edition from the newly confirmed schedule, with the tournament moving from 2028 to 2031 before returning in 2033.
2027 AFCON to bring tournament to East Africa
Before the three editions covered by the commercial tender, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament, officially named AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will mark the first time three countries jointly organize the competition.
It will also bring the continental tournament back to East Africa, with the three host nations expected to share the responsibility of welcoming Africa’s leading national teams and supporters.
The 2027 edition will follow Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 tournament, which strengthened AFCON’s international visibility and generated significant commercial interest.
Morocco 2025 Highlights AFCON’s Commercial Growth
CAF pointed to the success of the Morocco-hosted 2025 edition to underline the competition’s growing global appeal.
According to figures released by the confederation, the tournament attracted more than 3.2 billion television audience contacts and generated six billion views across digital platforms.
In a separate report published in March 2026, CAF also highlighted a 61% increase in viewership across European, Asian, and South American markets compared with previous editions.
The confederation reported a 50% increase in international broadcast partners in Europe and other key markets compared with the 2023 edition hosted by Ivory Coast.
The Morocco tournament also recorded 285 million digital engagements, while more than one million fan-generated videos appeared under the competition’s official TikTok hashtag.
These figures reflect the growing importance of international broadcasting, digital platforms, and commercial partnerships in expanding AFCON’s reach beyond the African continent.
With the next three editions now identified, CAF is looking to build on this growth by securing commercial partners for the tournaments and their qualifying campaigns.
