The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially reversed its decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a two-year to a four-year competition cycle, confirming that the tournament will continue to take place every two years.
According to GhanaRegions.com analyst, the decision was unanimously approved by the CAF Executive Committee on October 29, 2026, following a review of the proposed changes to African football’s competition calendar.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the proposed Africa Nations League would take several years to generate the financial resources required to support African football and make CAF competitions financially sustainable.
The governing body therefore decided to retain AFCON’s traditional biennial format to protect the interests of African football, its 54 member associations and players competing for clubs outside the continent.
AFCON 2027: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to Host
The next Africa Cup of Nations will take place in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The historic tournament, known as AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will be the first edition hosted by three African countries.
Confirmed tournament dates:
- Opening match: June 19, 2027.
- Final: July 17, 2027.
- Host countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The tournament will also mark AFCON’s return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.
AFCON 2027 Qualification: Groups and Fixtures
The qualification campaign features 48 national teams divided into 12 groups of four.
The qualifiers are being contested across six matchdays, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the final tournament, subject to special arrangements for the three automatically qualified co-hosts.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are already guaranteed places as host nations. The highest-placed team outside each host country in their respective qualification groups will also qualify.
The remaining qualification matches are scheduled across the November 2026 and March 2027 international windows.
Future AFCON Schedule: 2028, 2031 and 2033
Following the 2027 edition, CAF has confirmed that subsequent AFCON tournaments will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033.
There will be no AFCON tournament in 2030 because it is a FIFA World Cup year.
The decision restores AFCON’s traditional importance as Africa’s leading national team competition while providing regular opportunities for football development, commercial partnerships and international exposure.
Why CAF Changed Its Decision
CAF’s decision to abandon the proposed four-year cycle was largely influenced by financial and organisational considerations.
The proposed Africa Nations League was expected to replace AFCON as the continent’s major biennial competition. However, CAF recognised that the new tournament would require several years to generate sufficient revenue.
Maintaining AFCON every two years is therefore considered important for protecting the financial stability and continued development of African football.
The announcement has brought clarity to the future of the continent’s biggest football competition and increased anticipation for the historic 2027 tournament in East Africa.
AFCON is officially returning to its traditional two-year cycle, keeping African football’s biggest national team competition alive every two years.
