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CAF Unveils Major Reforms as AFCON Moves to Four-Year Cycle, Africa Nations League Announced

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2 days ago

7:17 am

CAF Unveils Major Reforms as AFCON Moves to Four-Year Cycle, Africa Nations League Announced

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has unveiled sweeping reforms set to redefine the future of African football, highlighted by a historic overhaul of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) calendar.

Under the new framework, AFCON will move to a four-year cycle starting from the 2028 edition.

This means that following AFCON 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, the tournament will next be staged in 2028, and subsequently in 2032, 2036, and beyond.

The decision is aimed at improving long-term planning, reducing fixture congestion, and aligning African football more closely with the global football calendar — a longstanding concern for clubs, national teams, and players alike.

In another landmark development, CAF confirmed plans to introduce a new continental competition — the Africa Nations League.

Scheduled to debut in 2029, the tournament will be played annually, providing African national teams with regular high-level competitive fixtures outside major tournaments.

The new competition is expected to enhance team development, increase international exposure, and create additional commercial opportunities for African football.

CAF also confirmed a significant boost to the financial rewards for AFCON 2025, with the champions’ prize increasing from $7 million to $10 million. The increase makes AFCON the most financially rewarding edition in the tournament’s history, underscoring CAF’s commitment to growing the commercial value and global appeal of African football.

Collectively, the reforms signal a decisive shift toward stability, competitiveness, financial growth, and strategic planning, positioning CAF to elevate African football’s standing on the global stage.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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