The Confederation of African Football (Caf) is reviewing its recent decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial event to one held every four years, following significant backlash from across the continent.
Caf president Patrice Motsepe addressed the issue on Friday during a Caf strategy conference held in Cape Verde, revealing that the organisation has spent several days discussing the matter and has not ruled out keeping the tournament's traditional two-year schedule.
"We've discussed it over the last few days," Motsepe told those gathered at the conference. "We are looking at everything, including having the Afcon coming back every two years. We are very clear, the matter is being reviewed."
The Africa Cup of Nations has been contested every two years since its modern format began in 1968, with the only break in that pattern coming between the 2012 and 2013 tournaments, when organisers shifted the competition's scheduling by a single year.
Caf's plan to alter that long-standing rhythm emerged in December 2025, when the governing body confirmed that the tournament would move to a four-year cycle starting after the 2027 edition, which is set to be hosted in East Africa, and a subsequent tournament scheduled for 2028.
That announcement was met with considerable opposition from national football associations and stakeholders throughout Africa, who argued that spacing the continent's flagship competition so far apart would be damaging on multiple fronts.
Among the chief concerns raised were worries that national teams would lose valuable exposure by competing in their premier tournament far less frequently, potentially affecting player development pathways and fan engagement. There were also fears about the financial and commercial consequences for federations, sponsors and broadcasters who rely on the regular rhythm of the competition for revenue and promotional opportunities.
Additionally, questions were raised about how a four-year Afcon cycle would interact with the broader international football calendar, which already features a congested schedule of continental and global tournaments. Aligning or clashing with other major events, such as FIFA World Cup qualifying windows and other confederations' tournaments, was seen as a potential source of complications.
With Motsepe's comments signalling that Caf is now seriously entertaining a reversal, the future format of the Afcon remains uncertain. The acknowledgment that "everything" is under consideration suggests that Caf officials are taking the criticism seriously and may ultimately decide to preserve the tournament's historic two-year cadence rather than pushing ahead with the previously announced changes.
No firm timeline was given for when a final decision will be reached, but the ongoing review indicates that further discussions and possibly additional conferences will take place before Caf commits to a definitive path forward. For now, the 2027 tournament in East Africa remains on the calendar as planned, with the structure of subsequent editions still very much up in the air.
The outcome of this review will be closely watched by national federations, players, fans and commercial partners alike, all of whom have a stake in how frequently Africa's most prestigious football competition takes place in the years ahead.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.