AFCON to be held every four years, announces CAF president Patrice Motsepe

AFCON is currently held every two years and the upcoming 35th edition of competition kicks off on Sunday with hosts Morocco taking on Comoros.

The change is to allow CAF to fall in line with fellow federations, and sees the implementation of an African Nations League, similar to UEFA's European Nations League.

Speaking on Saturday, Motsepe said in the Citizen: "Our focus now is on this AFCON but in 2027 we will be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and the AFCON after that will be in 2028,"

"Then after the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029 we will have the first African Nations League, with more prize money, more resources, more competition.

"As part of this arrangement, the AFCON now will take place once every four years.

The timing of the AFCON has always been a contentious one, with the 2019 edition in Egypt taking place in June and July in a way to help accommodate European club's. The last two AFCONs reverted back to January-February, however, to avoid the rainy seasons in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.

The upcoming competition was expected to take place in June-July but was moved again to accommodate the expanded Club World Cup.

"Of course our primary duty is to African football but we also have a duty to the players from Africa playing for the best clubs in Europe," Motsepe explained.

"We want to make sure that there is more synchronisation and that the global calendar allows the best African players every year to be in Africa."