AFCON: The 54 federations have until October 28, 2026, to choose between two and four years

The 54 member federations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have until Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to state whether they want an Africa Cup of Nations every two years or every four years, according to Le360 Sport, which claims to have seen the correspondence sent by the body to its member associations.

A turn, then a U-turn

CAF President Patrice Motsepe had announced in December the transition of the AFCON to a four-year cycle starting in 2028, recalls Le360 Sport. The announcement had sparked a wave of criticism, with several federations accusing the body of not having consulted them.

On October 9, 2026, during the CAF summit in Cape Verde, the South African leader himself opened the door to a reversal: "We are considering restoring the biennial periodicity of the AFCON," he declared, specifying that the matter was "under study," according to Le360 Sport.

What CAF is weighing in the balance

In the document sent to the federations, the body says it wants to take into account "all relevant factors," according to Sud Quotidien, as reported by SenePlus: the interests of African football, the financial autonomy of the federations, the protection of players, and the FIFA international calendar.

The issue is primarily economic. The AFCON is the main source of income for CAF and, by extension, for federations that often rely on its disbursements. The African Nations League project, presented as the counterpart to a less frequent AFCON, could take several years before generating as much revenue, the Senegalese daily emphasizes.

The federations want to be heard

The opposition came from everywhere, including the smallest countries. The president of the Comorian federation, Saïd Ali Athouman, publicly expressed his surprise at having learned of the reform without consultation, according to Footafrica, which cites the site KickOff. Leaders and coaches had also rejected it during the CAF strategic conference in Praia.

See you on November 21 in Abuja

The CAF Executive Committee met via videoconference on Thursday, October 22, 2026, with the preparation of the Ordinary General Assembly on November 21, 2026, in Nigeria on the agenda, according to its statement.

It is at this general assembly that the federations are expected to make their decision, according to Footafrica. The 2027 AFCON is not affected: it is scheduled from June 19 to July 17, 2027, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

For millions of Africans, the AFCON is not just a tournament: it is the moment when the continent looks at itself, every two years for decades. The choice will reveal who, between CAF or its members, sets the tempo for African football.