Africa Cup of Nations abandons biennial format after nearly six decades and new model starts in 2028
The African Cup of Nations will experience a historic change from 2028. After nearly 60 years of competition, generally every two years, the competition will only take place every four years, putting an end to a model adopted since 1968.
Throughout this period, the CAN has maintained a biennial frequency, with one exception in 2012 and 2013, when the tournament was held in consecutive years. Before the definitive change, two editions are still planned: the one which will begin on December 21 and the one in 2027. From 2028, the new calendar comes into force.
According to Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), this change is part of a broader plan to reorganize football on the continent.
“We are building a more attractive structure for African football. The international calendar must be more aligned and balanced,” declared the director after a CAF meeting in Morocco, host country of the 2025 edition.
Additionally, the 2027 edition will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. However, the location of the tournament in 2028 has not yet been decided. With the new periodicity, the CAN will coincide with future editions of the European Cup.
Finally, Motsepe explained that the decision was approved by Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and Mattias Grafström, secretary general of the entity. Furthermore, CAF announced the creation of the African League of Nations, a competition which should begin in 2029 and be played every year.
Follow our content on social media: Bluesky, Threads, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About The Author
