The Africa Cup of Nations will transition to a four-year cycle starting in 2028, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe announced on the eve of the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

Since 1968, AFCON has traditionally been staged every two years, with the only deviation occurring between the 2012 edition co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and the 2013 tournament in South Africa.

Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations—co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania—will proceed as scheduled. However, the subsequent tournament, initially planned for 2029, has been brought forward to 2028, with the next edition slated for 2032.

The unexpected announcement was made following a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Morocco, shortly before the start of the 2025 finals in Rabat.

The new cycle aligns AFCON with UEFA’s European Championship, which is also held every four years.

Motsepe further revealed plans to introduce an African Nations League, an annual competition modeled on UEFA’s Nations League. The tournament is expected to feature all 54 CAF member associations, divided into regional groupings.