CAF has scrapped its four-year AFCON plan, keeping Africa's top national soccer event on a two-year cycle. The change puts an end to a proposed shift that would have made fans wait longer between editions. Its Executive Committee backed the reversal with no votes against it.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe says the move puts African soccer first. He argues that the 54 member nations need a schedule that works for their teams and players, many of whom earn their living at clubs abroad. The goal is to protect their interests while keeping the event a regular part of the sport.
The African Nations League was meant to take over the gap between AFCON events. But that idea has hit a snag. CAF admits the new league could need years before it earns enough cash to pay its bills, which raises a fair question about how well it could replace an event that fans already know.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are set to share hosting duties for the 2027 edition. The next events are penciled in for 2028, 2031, and 2033. CAF also plans to skip 2030, as it wants to keep AFCON clear of the FIFA World Cup.
Of course, the old cycle has its share of issues. AFCON can clash with club soccer in Europe, where many African stars play. That can leave clubs short of key players and make it hard to fit national team duties around league games.
The larger FIFA Club World Cup has added another thing for CAF to deal with. Its 32-team format brought more matches into June and July, which made an already busy global calendar harder to manage.
Still, CAF has picked the familiar setup over a longer gap between events. The African Nations League idea may need more work before it can stand on its own, while AFCON keeps its regular place in the plans of national teams and supporters.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe says the move puts African soccer first. He argues that the 54 member nations need a schedule that works for their teams and players, many of whom earn their living at clubs abroad. The goal is to protect their interests while keeping the event a regular part of the sport.
The African Nations League was meant to take over the gap between AFCON events. But that idea has hit a snag. CAF admits the new league could need years before it earns enough cash to pay its bills, which raises a fair question about how well it could replace an event that fans already know.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are set to share hosting duties for the 2027 edition. The next events are penciled in for 2028, 2031, and 2033. CAF also plans to skip 2030, as it wants to keep AFCON clear of the FIFA World Cup.
Of course, the old cycle has its share of issues. AFCON can clash with club soccer in Europe, where many African stars play. That can leave clubs short of key players and make it hard to fit national team duties around league games.
The larger FIFA Club World Cup has added another thing for CAF to deal with. Its 32-team format brought more matches into June and July, which made an already busy global calendar harder to manage.
Still, CAF has picked the familiar setup over a longer gap between events. The African Nations League idea may need more work before it can stand on its own, while AFCON keeps its regular place in the plans of national teams and supporters.
