CAF has asked its 54 member associations, Uganda included, to recommend whether the AFCON should be played every two or every four years. Replies are due by Wednesday 28 October at 13:00, as CAF reconsiders the arrangement announced by its president, Patrice Motsepe.
Two years or four? The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is consulting its members on the frequency of its flagship competition. In a letter dated 23 October, acting general secretary Samson Adamu asks the body’s 54 member associations, Uganda among them, to recommend how often the AFCON should be held, according to Ugandan outlet Monitor. The deadline is set: Wednesday 28 October at 13:00.
The letter is explicit about where the request comes from. “Caf President Dr Patrice Motsepe has requested that I obtain the recommendation of your Member Association on whether the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) should take place every 2 years or every 4 years,” Samson Adamu writes, as quoted by Monitor. The CAF president has therefore sought the views of his federations, and no decision has yet been taken.
A U-turn after the December 2025 announcement
The consultation follows Patrice Motsepe’s announcement in December 2025: after the 2028 edition, the AFCON would move to a four-year cycle, with an African Nations League as a complement. The announcement angered stakeholders, who felt CAF was bowing to the wishes of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and falling into line with the European calendar.
At a CAF strategic conference in Cape Verde on 9 October, Motsepe said the body was reconsidering that arrangement. He reiterated the position at a virtual Executive Committee meeting on 22 October.
Financial and sporting criteria
The letter cites four decision criteria: financial sustainability, players’ interests, the international calendar and the development of African football. It also acknowledges the financial uncertainty surrounding the African Nations League, which would need several years before generating significant revenue.
That uncertainty weighs on the debate. Former CAF president Issa Hayatou had defended the principle of an AFCON every two years, despite pressure linked to the European calendar.
Replies due before 28 October
The 54 federations’ replies are due before Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 13:00. AFCON 2027 will be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
The Cranes returned to the AFCON in 2017 after a 39-year absence and reached the round of 16 in 2019. They will have their say, like the other member associations.