The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to its traditional two-year schedule after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed its earlier decision to stage the continent’s biggest football tournament every four years.

CAF announced the decision on October 30, 2026, following a unanimous vote by its Executive Committee, restoring the biennial format that has historically defined the competition.

The governing body had announced plans in December 2025 to move AFCON to a four-year cycle, with the proposed CAF Nations League expected to become the continent’s main biennial football competition. However, the proposal attracted criticism and was reconsidered by CAF leadership.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the decision to restore the two-year cycle was intended to protect and promote the interests of African football and its 54 member associations, as well as African players competing for clubs outside the continent.

According to CAF, the proposed Nations League would take several years to generate sufficient revenue to sustain African football, influencing the decision to maintain AFCON as a biennial tournament.

The next edition of the competition will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027, marking a major opportunity for East Africa to showcase its football infrastructure and organisational capacity.

Subsequent tournaments are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033. CAF has also confirmed that there will be no AFCON in 2030, maintaining its approach of avoiding the competition during a FIFA World Cup year.

The latest decision represents a significant shift in CAF’s tournament calendar and restores the familiar rhythm of Africa’s premier national-team competition.

For African football supporters, the return to a two-year cycle means the continent’s top national teams will continue competing for the title more regularly, while host nations and football associations will have renewed opportunities to develop the game.

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