The CAN could remain every two years: CAF backtracks

A year after turning the page, CAF could reopen it. According to The Guardian, the body is preparing to give up on a CAN every four years and return to the biannual rhythm which has made the tradition of the tournament since 1957.

Patrice Motsepe himself confirmed on Friday in Cape Verde that the issue was under study. He was speaking at the closing press conference of the CAF strategic conference. A vote is expected in the executive committee. No final decision has been made official.

The turnaround would be spectacular. On December 20, 2025, in Rabat, the day before the start of the Moroccan CAN, the executive committee approved the transition to a four-year cycle. The 2027 (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) and 2028 editions were maintained, then the tournament was to become quadrennial. An annual African League of Nations, launched in 2029, was expected to fill the void. CAF had even opened applications for 2028, 2032 and 2036.

From the outset, the method raised eyebrows. The Guardian reported that the body was accused of having imposed the reform without fully consulting its member federations. Gianni Infantino’s project, who had been pleading for years for a four-year calendar, had however been rejected for a long time by CAF. The reason was simple: CAN accounts for around 80% of its revenues. Motsepe’s argument then was the annual compensation of the future League of Nations. He obviously didn’t convince.

Criticisms came from supporters, federations, observers. They focused on the visibility of the national selections, the commercial appeal of the tournament and its place in the international calendar. For many countries, a CAN every two years is the only regular continental showcase.

It would also be a new setback for the president of CAF. His plan to expand the CAN from 24 to 28 teams, presented in February, had already been rejected by the executive committee. Two anonymous members then denounced a lack of consultation.

A return to the biennial rhythm would be read as a disavowal for Motsepe. And for Infantino, whose FIFA wanted to make Africa a laboratory for the quadrennial calendar, as a snub. It remains to be seen whether the vote will confirm the switch. African football has already decided.

Sheikh Gora DIOP