The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed reports claiming that the format of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will change, confirming that the competition will go ahead with 24 teams.
The clarification came after media reports suggested that the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would be expanded to 28 teams.
CAF said those reports were false and urged football fans and stakeholders to rely only on information released through its official channels.
In a statement, the African football body said, "CAF wishes to clarify that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 will retain its current format of 24 participating teams."
It added, "Reports suggesting an expansion of the tournament to 28 teams are false and should be disregarded."
CAF also stressed that "no decision has been taken by the CAF Executive Committee to increase the number of participating teams for the 2027 edition."
CLARITY:
— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) July 23, 2026
At Wednesday’s press conference, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2027 will have 24 National Teams.
Media reports suggesting otherwise is untrue.
The AFCON 2027 will be played in June-July 2027 and the… pic.twitter.com/5epJB9WtMU
The organisation urged the public to "refer only to official CAF communication channels for accurate information regarding its competitions and decisions."
The 2027 AFCON, branded AFCON Pamoja 2027, will be the first edition of Africa's biggest football tournament to be hosted by three countries.
It is scheduled to take place from 19th June to 17th July 2027, while the qualification campaign is expected to begin in September 2026.
The clarification puts an end to speculation over the tournament's format and allows participating countries and national teams to continue preparations under the existing 24-team structure.
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