CAF Moves AFCON to Four-Year Cycle and Introduces Annual African Nations League.

Roger Hampel

Image: CAF Online

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a major restructuring of its national team competition calendar, confirming that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be played every four years from 2028, alongside the launch of a new African Nations League to be held annually.

The announcement was made by CAF president Patrice Motsepe in Morocco ahead of the 2025 AFCON, marking one of the most significant competition reforms in African football governance in decades.

AFCON Schedule Changes from 2028 CAF

Under the revised calendar, the 2027 AFCON, to be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, will proceed as planned. The following edition, originally scheduled for 2029, will be brought forward to 2028, with the next tournament after that set for 2032. By shifting AFCON to a four-year cycle, CAF aligns its flagship tournament with the UEFA European Championship, which will also be staged in 2028.

CAF has not yet confirmed the exact timing of the 2028 AFCON within the calendar year, an issue that has historically complicated scheduling due to climate considerations and clashes with European domestic and international competitions.

Launch of the African Nations League

To compensate for the reduced frequency of AFCON, CAF will introduce an African Nations League, scheduled to begin in 2029. The competition will involve all 54 CAF member associations, organised into four geographical zones.

According to CAF, matches will take place during September and October, with a final phase planned for November, creating a recurring annual international competition framework for African national teams.

From a structural perspective, the Nations League is designed to ensure that elite African players, many of whom are based in Europe, return to the continent on a yearly basis rather than only during AFCON cycles.

Revenue and Commercial Rationale

Motsepe indicated that the reform is closely linked to financial sustainability. Historically, AFCON has been CAF’s primary revenue-generating competition, concentrating commercial income into a single tournament every two years.

By introducing an annual Nations League, CAF aims to establish recurring commercial windows, allowing for more predictable broadcasting, sponsorship and competition revenues across the cycle rather than relying on a single flagship event.

In practical terms, the change creates an AFCON-equivalent competition footprint every year, alternating between a full continental tournament and a league-format competition.

Player Availability and Global Calendar Pressures

Scheduling has been a persistent challenge for African football, particularly due to conflicts with European leagues and FIFA competitions. The 2025 AFCON itself was delayed from a planned summer window to avoid clashing with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup.

The new model allows CAF to concentrate its largest tournament into fewer cycles while using the Nations League to maintain regular international engagement without the logistical and climatic challenges of staging AFCON every two years.