The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will switch from its long-standing two-year cycle to a four-year format from 2028, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed.
The announcement was made in Morocco by CAF president Patrice Motsepe ahead of the opening match of the 35th edition of the competition, with hosts Morocco set to face Comoros. AFCON, first staged in 1957, is CAF’s flagship event and accounts for an estimated 80 percent of the confederation’s revenue.
Motsepe said the 2027 finals, due to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will go ahead as planned and will be followed by another edition in 2028. From that point, however, the tournament will be staged every four years.
“Historically the Nations Cup was the prime resource for us but now we will get financial resources every year,” Motsepe said. “It is an exciting new structure which will contribute to sustainable financial independence and ensure more synchronisation with the FIFA calendar.”
The idea of reducing AFCON’s frequency had previously been floated by Gianni Infantino, but CAF had resisted because of its heavy reliance on tournament revenues.
Motsepe confirmed that the latest decision was taken after discussions with Infantino and FIFA’s general secretary, Mattias Grafstrom, acknowledging that compromise was unavoidable.
“We have the most exciting new structure for African football,” Motsepe said. “I do what is in the interests of Africa. The global calendar has to be significantly more synchronised and harmonised.”
AFCON’s scheduling has long been a source of tension, particularly with European clubs, as the tournament has often taken place midway through the domestic season. Although CAF resolved in 2019 to move the competition to a June and July window, circumstances have repeatedly intervened.
The 2022 tournament in Cameroon and the 2024 edition in Côte d’Ivoire were both staged at the start of the year because of weather concerns and disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. More recently, FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, held in the United States in June and July, forced CAF to adjust its plans again.
As a result, this year’s finals in Morocco have been shifted back by six months and will run over Christmas and the New Year for the first time, with the final scheduled for 18 January.
Alongside the structural changes, Caf has also increased the prize money for AFCON winners from 7 million dollars to 10 million dollars.
The dates for the 2027 finals in East Africa are yet to be confirmed, while the hosts of the 2028 edition have not been announced.
FOLLOW US ON:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
TUMBLR
INSTAGRAM
