Rabat – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering bringing the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) back to a two-year cycle, President Patrice Motsepe confirmed on Friday.
“We are looking into bringing AFCON back to every two years. That’s under review,” Motsepe said during a press conference in Cape Verde on the final day of CAF’s Strategy Conference.
His comments confirm that the four-year format announced less than a year ago is no longer considered settled.
The statement followed an earlier report from Journalists Romain Molina and Ed Aarons that CAF’s officials would discuss reversing the calendar change during the gathering in Santa Maria, Sal Island.
CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would move from its traditional two-year cycle to every four years after the 2028 edition. The 2027 tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda would go ahead, followed by another edition in 2028 before the new schedule took effect.
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CAF paired the change with plans for a new African Nations League, scheduled to begin in 2029. The governing body said the competition would give Africa a major senior men’s national-team event every year outside FIFA World Cup years.
The four-year plan drew criticism across African football almost immediately. Motsepe defended the decision in January and rejected claims that FIFA had pressured CAF into changing the tournament’s frequency.
Today’s comments represent a clear shift from that position. Motsepe stopped short of announcing a reversal and stressed that CAF is still reviewing the matter.
A return to the biennial format would require CAF to revisit parts of the competition calendar it has already begun planning. The governing body has opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 AFCON editions, while its broader strategy also includes the planned African Nations League.
CAF has not yet explained how a possible two-year AFCON cycle would affect those competitions or when it expects to reach a final decision.
The debate unfolded during CAF’s three-day Strategy Conference in Cape Verde, which brought together presidents of all 54 member associations, Executive Committee members, national-team coaches and football officials to discuss the continent’s priorities through 2030.
