The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Saturday that the Africa Cup of Nations will move from a two-year to a four-year cycle after the 2028 tournament, saying the change will better fit the global calendar and create room for a new annual African Nations League.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe told reporters the switch will “ensure more synchronisation with the FIFA calendar” and help make the sport more sustainable on the continent.
He said the body will launch an African Nations League from 2029, so there will be a major CAF competition each year.
“What is new is that … there’s going to be a competition every year,” Motsepe said.
The executive committee met in Rabat on the eve of the 35th AFCON, and leaders said the change aims to ease conflicts between national teams and European clubs — a long-running complaint that affects player availability.
CAF also plans to raise the AFCON winners’ prize money to $10 million, up from $7 million previously.
CAF emphasized that the 2027 tournament — due to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda — will go ahead, followed by a 2028 edition before the new four-year cycle begins.
Officials said the Nations League finals will be played in November and the regional stages in FIFA windows from 2029.
