AFCON set for four-year switch as CAF confirm major calendar shake-up from 2028

The Africa Cup of Nations will move to a four-year cycle from 2028, bringing the continent’s flagship tournament into line with the World Cup and Euros, CAF has confirmed.

AFCON has been staged every two years for more than half a century, dating back to 1968, with just one brief break between 2012 and 2013 to dodge a clash with the World Cup. That rhythm, however, is now set to change as African football bosses look to clear space in an already packed calendar.

Nothing changes in the short term. The 2025 tournament in Morocco will go ahead as planned, followed by the 2027 edition hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Both competitions will still be played under the old biennial system.

The 2028 AFCON will act as a crossover event, effectively resetting the clock. From there, the tournament is expected to be held every four years, with the next editions pencilled in for 2032 and beyond, aligning neatly with other major international competitions.

The announcement was made by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who also revealed plans for a new African Nations League. That competition is due to start in 2029 and will be played annually, offering regular competitive matches for national sides outside of AFCON years.

Motsepe said the changes was about modernising African football and giving its biggest tournament the platform it deserves. While exact formats is still being worked through, CAF believe the move will boost AFCON’s profile and reduce the strain on players who already juggle club and country demands.

For fans and federations, it marks a significant shift. AFCON remains one of the most unpredictable tournaments in world football, and spacing it out could add extra edge when it comes around. Attention now turns to Morocco 2025, with qualification battles ongoing and the new-look calendar set to reshape African football for the next decade.