CAF President Patrice Motsepe has announced over the week-end a strategic recalibration of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) calendar following the 2025 tournament in Morocco, which opens on Sunday, December 21 with Morocco facing Comoros and ends on January 18, 2026.
Under the revised roadmap, the AFCON initially scheduled for 2029 will be brought forward to 2028, while the 2027 tournament in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania remains unchanged. From 2028 onward, AFCON will transition into a four-year cycle, with future editions slated for 2032, 2036, 2040, and beyond.
In a parallel reform, Motsepe announced the launch of an African Nations League in 2028, inspired by UEFA’s Nations League introduced in 2018.
He said the competition is designed to achieve better synchronisation of the international football calendar, ensuring that Africa’s top players are available on the continent during international windows. Motsepe also commended FIFA leadership, notably Gianni Infantino and Matthias Grafström, for their role in supporting this broader alignment.