Patrice Motsepe reveals discussions to keep AFCON every two years

Motsepe made the revelation at a CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde on Friday, suggesting that the governing body could reconsider its plans for the future of Africa's premier national team competition.

The proposed switch to a four-year cycle was announced in December last year, with AFCON scheduled to take place in 2027 and 2028 before the next edition in 2032.

The decision was linked to plans to introduce an annual African Nations League, which Motsepe said would create greater commercial opportunities for African football.

However, CAF is now discussing the possibility of retaining the tournament's traditional biennial format, which has been in place since the competition was first staged in 1957.

"We have discussed things over the last few days and are looking at everything, including having the AFCON come back every two years," Motsepe told the media.

His comments were met with applause at the conference, amid debate surrounding the decision to extend the gap between AFCON tournaments from two years to four.

The latest discussions suggest that CAF is open to reconsidering the proposed changes, although Motsepe did not confirm whether the organisation would officially abandon its plans for a four-year cycle.

A return to hosting AFCON every two years would preserve the competition's established schedule and allow African national teams to compete for the continental title more regularly.

Meanwhile, CAF announced that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology would be introduced from the group stages of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup this season, extending its use beyond the knockout rounds.

For now, the future AFCON schedule remains under discussion as CAF continues to assess its competition calendar and commercial strategy.