The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to revert to a biennial Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), with the next editions scheduled for 2027, 2028, 2031, and 2033. This decision was made by the CAF Executive Committee on October 29, 2026, reversing their previous decision to switch to a four-year cycle. CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the reconsideration of the decision during the CAF Strategic Conference in Cape Verde from October 7-9.
The initial decision to switch to a four-year cycle was intended to make way for a new competition, the African Nations League. However, the project faced financial difficulties, with the CAF stating that the league would have taken several years to generate significant revenue. The organization aims to make African competitions competitive globally and financially autonomous. The biennial CAN is expected to protect and promote African football interests.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in June and July. The following editions will be held in 2028, 2031, and 2033, with no CANs planned for 2029 and 2030. The year 2030 will host the FIFA World Cup, and CAF has avoided scheduling the CAN in the same year, following FIFA tradition.
The decision to hold the CAN biennially will have implications for national teams, including Algeria. The Algerian team has won the CAN twice, in 1990 and 2019, and is currently competing in the 2027 qualifying rounds. The team's coach, Brahim Hemdani, will have to manage a busy schedule with the increased frequency of the CAN.
The biennial CAN will also affect players who compete in European leagues. Their clubs will have to release them more frequently for the tournament, which may cause scheduling conflicts. However, the 2027 edition, scheduled for the summer, is expected to minimize conflicts with European championships.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe stated that the decision aims to promote African football interests and protect the interests of African players who compete in clubs outside the continent. The future of the African Nations League remains uncertain.
The new schedule will result in four CAN editions by 2033, compared to two if the four-year cycle had been maintained. The increased frequency of the CAN provides more opportunities for teams to compete and for players to showcase their skills.
Key points
- The CAF has reverted to a biennial Africa Cup of Nations, with the next editions scheduled for 2027, 2028, 2031, and 2033.
- The decision was made due to financial difficulties faced by the proposed African Nations League.
- The biennial CAN will have implications for national teams and players competing in European leagues.
