The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held every four years beginning in 2028. At the same time, a new African Nations League will be instituted on an annual basis.
Dr. Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, made this announcement on Saturday in Morocco, before the commencement of the 2025 AFCON, which will feature a match between Comoros and the host nation on Sunday.
Dr. Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 edition of the Cup of Nations, to be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, will go ahead as scheduled. Furthermore, the next tournament, initially planned for 2029, will be advanced to 2028, with the succeeding AFCON taking place in 2032.
The introduction of the African Nations League is slated for 2029. Dr. Motsepe indicated that this league will encompass all 54 member nations of the continent, classified into four geographical zones, with fixtures occurring in September and October and culminating in finals in November.
He remarked, “There will be an annual competition featuring the finest African players from Europe and around the globe, joining us on the continent.”
While Dr. Motsepe did not specify the exact timing for the 2028 AFCON, he acknowledged that scheduling Africa’s premier national tournament has posed ongoing challenges. This year’s tournament was deferred from a summer start to avoid overlapping with FIFA’s newly established Club World Cup.
Dr. Motsepe asserted, “This strategic shift will guarantee that there is an equivalent of AFCON every year, showcasing the elite African players globally and promoting the highest standards of football within the continent.”
In the course of the announcement, Dr. Motsepe was accompanied by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, who characterized the decision as “historic,” emphasizing FIFA’s commitment to coordinating with CAF.
Grafström indicated, “It is now the responsibility of CAF to decide the host location for the 2028 Africa Cup and to give us with the dates.” He expressed a wish for continued collaboration to synchronize dates as done for earlier tournaments, acknowledging that while this process was time-consuming, a satisfactory compromise was ultimately achieved.
Transitioning AFCON to a quadrennial cycle aligns it with UEFA’s European Championship, which is also scheduled for 2028.
Dr. Motsepe concluded by asserting, “The AFCON will now be conducted once every four years. Historically, AFCON has served as a vital source for funding African football, and under this new framework, we will secure resources annually.”
The absence of an AFCON in 2029 will also prevent any conflict with the forthcoming Club World Cup.
Leave a Reply