The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will shift to a four-year cycle format starting from 2028, breaking away from the traditional biennial arrangement.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe made the announcement during the 2025 AFCON kick-off press conference in Rabat on Saturday, noting that the decision was necessary for the growth of football in Africa.

According to Mr Motsepe, after the 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the next tournament will be played in 2028, 2032, 2036.

“It is unfair for us to put the players in the middle of the fight that we have because their clubs say to them that they don’t want you to go to Africa and they are correct but CAF also needs them for their countries,” Mr Motsepe said.

He added, “So, we are solving this in the first instance for us and secondly our African players and in the third instance, we are going to get so much more money than having the AFCON every two years.”

During the press conference, Mr Motsepe also announced the creation of the African Nations League, an annual tournament, with the continent divided into different regions, starting from 2029.

In addition, the South African businessman added that CAF has increased the prize money for winning the 2025 AFCON to $10 million, from the $4 million awarded to Ivory Coast for winning the last edition.