The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering a return to a two-year cycle for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), its president, Patrice Motsepe, has confirmed.
Motsepe made the disclosure on Friday during a press conference in Cape Verde, at the conclusion of CAF’s three-day Strategy Conference.
“We are looking into bringing AFCON back to every two years. That’s under review,” he said.
The development comes less than a year after CAF announced in December 2025 that the tournament would move to a four-year cycle after the 2028 edition.
Under the previous plan, the 2027 AFCON, scheduled to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would proceed as planned, followed by another edition in 2028. CAF also proposed introducing an African Nations League from 2029 to ensure that the continent would have a major senior men’s national-team competition every year outside World Cup years.
The proposed change attracted criticism from several quarters of African football, prompting Motsepe to defend the decision in January. He also rejected suggestions that FIFA had pressured CAF into changing the tournament’s frequency.
His latest comments signal a possible shift in the governing body’s position, although he did not announce a formal reversal of the four-year cycle.
No final decision has been taken, and the matter is expected to be considered by the CAF Executive Committee.
A return to the biennial format would require CAF to review aspects of its competition calendar and broader plans for African football. The governing body has already opened bidding for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of AFCON, while its wider strategy includes the proposed African Nations League.
CAF has yet to explain how a return to a two-year cycle would affect those plans or when a final decision will be announced.
The Strategy Conference, held from October 7 to 9 in Santa Maria, Cape Verde, brought together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, Executive Committee members, national-team coaches and other football officials to discuss the development and sustainability of African football through 2030.
The discussions formed part of CAF’s broader efforts to strengthen football administration, improve competitions and enhance the continent’s competitiveness on the global stage.
