CAF Shifts AFCON to Quadrennial Cycle
Analysis based on 11 articles · First reported Dec 20, 2025 · Last updated Dec 21, 2025
The restructuring of African football competitions by Confederation of African Football, including the shift of Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle and the introduction of the African Nations Championship, aims to create a more harmonized global football calendar. This could lead to more consistent revenue streams for African football and potentially increase the value of media rights and sponsorships for the new annual league.
The Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) announced a major restructuring of African football, led by president Patrice Motsepe. The Africa Cup of Nations (Africa Cup of Nations) will transition from a biennial to a quadrennial cycle after the 2028 edition, with the 2027 tournament still proceeding as planned in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. To compensate for the reduced frequency of Africa Cup of Nations and ensure annual financial resources, Confederation of African Football will launch a new annual competition, the African Nations Championship, starting in 2029. This league will involve all 54 Confederation of African Football member associations and will be modeled after UEFA's Nations League. The changes are intended to ease congestion in the global football calendar, align with other major international tournaments, and improve player welfare, especially for African players in European clubs. Confederation of African Football also increased the prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations winners to $10 million.
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