The Africa Cup of Nations is now held every four years
The Confederation of African Football announced on Saturday that the Africa Cup of Nations will now take place every four years rather than every two.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe made the unexpected announcement during a press conference following the body’s executive committee meeting in the Moroccan capital.
Since its founding in 1957, the competition, which generates an estimated 80% of CAF’s revenue, has been staged every two years.
The 35th edition, which is being hosted in Morocco, begins on Sunday with a match between the home nation and Comoros.
According to Motsepe, the next Cup of Nations finals will take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in 2027. After that, another competition will take place in 2028, but it will then be conducted every four years.
In order to bridge the gap, Motsepe declared that an African Nations League would be established every year starting in 2029, adopting Europe’s model of holding its championship every four years.
“The Nations Cup was our main resource in the past, but now we will receive financial resources annually,” he stated.
“It is an exciting new structure that will guarantee greater synchronization with the FIFA calendar and contribute to sustainable financial independence.”
AFCON TIME IS A LONG-STANDING PROBLEM
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has previously suggested holding the Cup of Nations every four years, but CAF had rejected this idea due to their dependence on the tournament’s earnings.
Because the AFCON is typically held in the middle of the European season, teams are forced to release their African players, which has long been a source of contention.
Moving the Cup of Nations from 2019 to the middle of the year was meant to resolve this tug of loyalty, but subsequent tournaments in Cameroon in 2022 and Ivory Coast in 2024 were once more held at the beginning of the year.
FIFA’s new-look Club World Cup, which was held in the U.S. in June and July, caused the Morocco tournament to be postponed by six months.
Motsepe continued, “It is in the best interests of the teams, clubs, and players.” “Players quitting their clubs in Europe in the middle of the season is unacceptable to me. It is incorrect.
“We have a responsibility to the players. We are aware of the players’ frustration when their club claims they are required, even though the nation also needs them.We treat the players unfairly. We are resolving this issue for both our African players and ourselves in Africa.”
Additionally, Motsepe stated that there would be an instant rise in prize money, with the champions of this edition receiving $10 million as opposed to $7 million for Ivory Coast’s last Cup of Nations victory.
