African football fans have reason to celebrate! The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is officially returning to its traditional two-year schedule after CAF abandoned its controversial plan to hold the tournament every four years.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee has unanimously approved the return to a biennial AFCON format, reversing the decision announced in December 2025.

CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, confirmed the development on Thursday, October 29, 2026, explaining that the decision was taken to protect the interests of African football, its 54 member associations and players competing for clubs outside the continent.

According to Reuters, the reversal comes after widespread discussions surrounding CAF’s previous plan to introduce a four-year AFCON cycle, with a proposed Africa Nations League taking over as the continent’s major biennial competition. <Cite refs={[“turn719674news12″,”turn719674search6”]} />

Here Is the New AFCON Calendar

CAF has also outlined the years for the next editions of the competition:

• 2027: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the tournament.
• 2028: The next edition will follow just one year later.
• 2030: No AFCON tournament, as it is a FIFA World Cup year.
• 2031: AFCON returns.
• 2033: The next edition follows.

In its official statement, CAF explained that the proposed Africa Nations League would take several years to generate the financial resources needed to support African football and make its competitions globally competitive and financially sustainable. <Cite refs={[“turn719674search0″,”turn719674search3”]} />

Motsepe Explains the Decision

Motsepe said the decision was made to advance, protect and promote African football, while ensuring that CAF’s member associations continue to benefit from the competition.

The CAF president also described AFCON as more than just a football tournament, highlighting its role in bringing together Africa’s diverse cultures, traditions and football communities.

The announcement marks a major reversal of CAF’s earlier plans and means African football fans will continue to enjoy the continent’s biggest national-team competition every two years, except for the 2030 World Cup year.

Now, the big question: Are you happy that AFCON is returning to every two years, or did you prefer the proposed four-year format?

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Sources: CAF Official Website, Reuters and TimesLIVE.