CAF Moves AFCON to Four-year Cycle from 2028

President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, on Saturday confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will move to a four-year cycle from 2028.

Speaking on the eve of the 2025 edition of the tournament in Morocco, Motsepe said the current two-year cycle of the AFCON will end with the 2027 edition already awarded to joint host of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa. 

The CAF Boss stressed that there are plans to  increase the prize money from USD7million USD10 million for AFCON winners. 

Motsepe also hinted of plans to introduce an African Nations League, which is expected to be held annually from 2029.

“We have the most exciting new structure for African football,” Motsepe stressed of the new plan to revitalize African football. 

According to the schedule of the 2025 edition, hosts Morocco will. Kickstart the tournament against Comoros on Sunday Inside he Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. 

AFCON is widely regarded as the continent’s flagship football event, and the shift in format may be viewed by some as a response to pressure from European clubs, which have often raised concerns about the tournament’s timing. For this edition, clubs were permitted to retain their players until December 15, just a week before the competition begins on December 21.

The scheduling of AFCON has been a recurring challenge in recent years. The last three editions were rescheduled, with the 2021 tournament played in 2022 due to infrastructure delays in Cameroon, and the 2023 edition moved to early 2024 for similar reasons in Cote d’Ivoire. 

CAF had previously attempted to shift the tournament from its traditional January to February window to June and July, but only the 2019 edition in Egypt was held during that period, with extreme heat affecting performances.

Tournaments in West Africa have also struggled with a June to July slot because of heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding. The Morocco 2025 tournament was initially planned for June and July, but the expansion of FIFA’s Club World Cup to 32 teams, scheduled for the same period, forced a change. As a result, the competition will now be played between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026.