The Confederation of African Football (CAF) could abandon its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, less than 12 months after the reform was announced.
CAF’s executive committee is expected to discuss a possible return to a biennial tournament, according to journalist Romain Molina. The potential reversal would represent a major change of direction for Patrice Motsepe, who had presented the proposed calendar reform as one of his key projects.
Motsepe appeared to confirm that the issue was under review while attending the CAF Strategic Conference in Cape Verde on Friday.
“We are examining the possibility of bringing the Africa Cup of Nations back every two years. It is under review,” the CAF president said.
The original plan was announced by Motsepe on 20 December 2025, on the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Under that proposal, the tournament would be held in 2028 after the 2027 edition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, before moving to a four-year cycle.
That would have ended almost seven decades of tradition. The competition has been played every two years since it was created in 1957, apart from a small number of exceptions.
The proposed change was met with immediate criticism from supporters and observers of African football. Many viewed it as another concession to FIFA and European clubs, which have frequently opposed the disruption caused by the Africa Cup of Nations to their domestic schedules.
There were also concerns that reducing the number of tournaments would damage the economic interests of African football.
To offset the reduction in Africa Cup of Nations editions, Motsepe had also announced plans for an African Nations League. The competition was intended to provide national teams across the continent with another regular tournament.
CAF had continued working on that project in recent months, establishing a special committee to determine its format and schedule.
However, Molina reported that the possible change of direction would not be driven solely by the opposition to the four-year plan.
He linked the issue to tensions between FIFA and UEFA, whose differences over the governance and future of world football have intensified. Those tensions have also been heightened by recent controversies surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has the unwavering support of CAF.
According to Molina, a return to a biennial Africa Cup of Nations would be directly connected to the dispute between the two organisations. The precise mechanisms behind any possible change have yet to be clarified.
A reversal would nevertheless mark a striking shift for CAF, coming only months after it defended the move to a four-year cycle as a necessary development for African football.