The last edition of AFCON between Senegal and Morocco ended in controversy

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, restoring the tournament's traditional biennial format less than a year after scrapping it.

CAF's executive committee had voted in December 2025 to move AFCON to a quadrennial cycle, with a new African Nations League intended to fill the gap as a replacement continental competition held every two years.

Motsepe explained the executive committee's concerns centred on the lengthy timeline before the proposed Nations League could make meaningful financial and developmental contributions to the sport across the continent.

"The decision by the executive committee to reinstate the organisation of the AFCON every two years aims to advance, protect and promote the interests of African football and the 54 CAF Member Associations, as well as those of African players playing for clubs outside the continent," Motsepe said.

The CAF president added that the envisaged pan-African league, designed to mirror the existing AFCON format, would have required years of development before it could generate the income needed for African competitions to stand on their own financially and compete at a global level.

East Africa will host the next edition of the tournament in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda sharing staging duties.