Africa Cup of Nations every four years: Between European desires and continental development
The Confederation of African Football's decision to change the format of its flagship continental tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, from every two years to every four years, has sparked differing opinions. Some support the change as a way to develop the game on the continent, while others see it as a concession to European clubs and FIFA.
On the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, South African Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), announced a radical change to the African football landscape. The CAF's premier tournament will now be held every four years, starting in 2028, instead of every two years. A new competition, modeled after UEFA's Africa Cup of Nations, will also be created, beginning in 2029. Motsepe's decision has sparked controversy even within the continental federation itself. Many within the governing body of African football are confused by the changes, asserting that the decision grants European clubs what they have long demanded – something previously rejected by former CAF presidents Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar on numerous occasions.
A source within CAF's competitions department stated, "The committee was not consulted before the decision was announced, and we were surprised by the disclosure of organizational matters that require extensive discussion before being finalized."
The source added, "Everyone is currently focused on the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, and we will wait for its conclusion to discuss the matter." Organizing two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in consecutive years is extremely difficult, especially since the 2027 tournament will be held in the summer, meaning we only have two international breaks to conduct the qualifiers for the 2028 edition if it is to be held at the beginning of the year,” he said, noting that postponing the tournament to the summer of 2028 would clash with the Los Angeles Olympics. He ruled out postponing it again to 2029 in that case.
The source explained that this had happened before when the tournament was held twice consecutively in 2012 and 2013, but clarified: “At that time, the tournament only included 16 teams, not 24, and the qualifiers were played in a round-robin format, not group stages, which is difficult to replicate now.”
He continued, “We don’t have any clear vision of the format of the proposed African Nations League at the moment. We have to wait and see. I think canceling the African Nations Championship for local players is also strange because this tournament is gaining immense popularity among many countries and players, but we have to examine all aspects first.” European clubs have long complained about being forced to release their African international players every two years for the continental tournament, which lasts for about a month.
For his part, Tunisian coach Sami Trabelsi said: “There are more important changes than changing the date of the continental cup. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) needs to make many more important decisions. Many things need to change. Dates are secondary and won't change the level of African football or its contribution to Europe by providing the continent with many talented players. Two African players should have been among the top three in the FIFA Ballon d'Or.”
Meanwhile, Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, manager of the Malian national team, sharply criticized FIFA and CAF, saying: “Since 1957, Africa has hosted its cup every two years, but now they're saying it will be held every four years. This is unnatural. Africa must be respected.” His compatriot, Paul Put, the Uganda coach, commented on the matter: “It’s a difficult question. When you work in Africa, with Africans accustomed to playing the tournament every two years, I honestly don’t understand CAF’s decision, and we are unfortunately not happy. That’s my initial feeling. Perhaps the problem lies with the World Cup and the Club World Cup.”
The Ugandan coach added: “Perhaps with the new competition, the Nations League, there will be a new challenge for the coaching staff and players in a tournament of the same level and with a large number of fans. In general, we will wait for an explanation of the decision before expressing our full feelings.”
Morocco coach Walid Regragui commented, saying, “There are positive aspects and less positive ones,” adding, “The biennial schedule allowed many teams to grow and develop, or to rebuild quickly if they failed in the Africa Cup of Nations. We are in a good position to know that.”
He continued, “Now we will have to wait four years if we fail. It will be increasingly difficult to establish ourselves. Football is changing, and even if I don’t agree with this style of football, we must adapt.” Algerian national team captain Riyad Mahrez said: “I didn’t think about this decision, but I think it will make the competition more beautiful and there will be a lot of pressure on the teams to win the title, and there won’t be players who play in many finals.”