AFCON: Motsepe reconsiders biennial tournament, ten months after switching to a four-year cycle

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) could backtrack on the most controversial reform in its recent history. Its president, South African Patrice Motsepe, stated on October 9, 2026, that the organization is studying a return of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a two-year rhythm, following an executive committee meeting held during the CAF strategic conference in Cape Verde, according to the Ghanaian website Adomonline. The leader indicated that he is examining "the possibility of bringing back the AFCON every two years," specifying that the matter is under review.

A reform adopted on December 20, 2025

The decision that CAF is currently re-examining was announced on Saturday, December 20, 2025, on the eve of the kickoff of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. Patrice Motsepe had confirmed at the time that the tournament would move to a four-year cycle starting in 2028, making the 2027 edition, awarded to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the final biennial AFCON.

This shift was accompanied by two other announcements: an increase in the winner's prize money from 7 to 10 million dollars, and the project for an African Nations League to be played annually starting in 2029. Motsepe spoke then of a new architecture for football on the continent. The reform immediately drew criticism from players, coaches, and a portion of the African press, for whom spacing out the AFCON meant depriving national teams, especially the more modest ones, of their main international window.

A reversal that is not yet a decision

The British daily The Guardian, cited by the Senegalese website Wiwsport, indicates that CAF is expected to review its position. South African journalist Velile Mnyandu, also quoted by Wiwsport, reports that the return to a biennial tournament is "a discussion on the table" and that FIFA would not view this prospect favorably, while CAF has its own interests, particularly financial ones, to defend.

At this stage, nothing is decided: no final decision has been made public, and any change to the calendar would need to be validated by the CAF executive committee, which has not communicated a deadline.

The stakes go beyond the calendar. The AFCON is the showcase of African football, the one that fills stadiums from Rabat to Dar es Salaam and thrills the diaspora. Held every two years, it multiplies the qualification chances for emerging teams and the continent's popular gatherings; spread over four years, it moves closer to the European model, but reduces the opportunities for the 54 African federations to compete in their biggest tournament. The 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania remains firmly on the calendar.