CAF warns four-year AFCON cycle could affect revenue

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has warned that moving the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a two-year to a four-year cycle could have financial implications for the confederation and its 54 member associations.

According to part of a letter sent to the member associations, CAF would need to introduce another competition capable of generating revenue to compensate for the financial impact of staging AFCON less frequently.

CAF had proposed the Africa Nations League Pan African,a competition intended to be similar to the current AFCON and played every two years.

However, the confederation reportedly acknowledged that the proposed tournament could take several years before it begins generating significant revenue for CAF and its member associations.

This means that a switch to a four-year AFCON cycle could create a financial gap in the short term, as the proposed competition might not immediately replace the income lost from holding the continental showpiece less frequently.

The potential revenue shortfall is expected to be one of the key considerations as CAF weighs the advantages and disadvantages of retaining the biennial AFCON format or moving to a four-year schedule.

The final decision could have significant implications for the confederation’s finances and the funding available to its member associations.