The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced major changes to its international competitions, including a shift of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle and the introduction of a new Africa Nations League.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe confirmed the developments on Saturday, revealing that AFCON will move to a four-year cycle after the 2027 edition of the tournament. The decision marks a significant departure from the current two-year format that has been in place for decades.
The president said: “In discussions with all the stakeholders and taking into account the global fixtures, it has been decided that Afcon will not take place every four years. I have had players saying I want to come to the national team but my club needs me because they want to win the league.
“We have had to make sacrifices to lessen the burden on the players.”
In addition, CAF will introduce a new competition, the Africa Nations League, which will be played annually starting from 2028.
The tournament is to take place during the Fifa windows and it will be divided in Northern, Eastern, Western and Central and Southern regions.
Motsepe said: “The African Nations League will result in Africa having a competition every year where the best players who play in Europe will be here. It will significantly improve the quality of our competitions.
“What is significant is that in this competition that is going to take place during the Fifa window every year, top players will be available and more money will be available from partners.”
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