Why Caf make U-turn to organise Afcon every two years
Wia dis foto come from, SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Di Confederation of African football (Caf) don decide to return Africa Cup of nations (Afcon) to dey hold evri two years.
Caf executive committee announce dis decision on Thursday, 29 October, one year afta dem change di format from two to four years.
President for Caf Patrice Motsepe wey announce dis informate for di Caf strategy conference for Cabo Verde, tok say, dem don reverse dia earlier decision.
"Dis decision na based on advancing, protecting and promoting di interest of African football and di 54-member association of Caf togeda wit di interest of di African players wey don dey play dia football outside di continent," Dr Motsepe explain.
Inside one statement from Caf, dem explain say "dis reconsideration happun sake of say di proposed new Africa nation's league Pan-African competition wey suppose replace di two-year Afcon, go take long time to happun, to contribute di money to organise di Caf competitions and Africa football to make am beta."
Wia dis foto come from, TORBJORN TANDE/DEFODI IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
For 20 December 2025, Caf president Dr Motsepe bin announce say Afcon go dey happun evri four years.
Caf president bin tok at di time say, dem bin dey create di African Nations League wey go happun every year from 2029.
Motsepe bin make dat announcement afta Caf executive committee meeting for Morocco bifor di 2025 Afcon final.
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At di time, Caf bin explain say di new nations league format go involve all 54-member kontris and dem go split dem into four zones. Six kontris for di Northern zone and 16 kontris for di Eastern, Western and Central and Southern zones.
But all dis new arrangement no go happun again as Caf don decide to return to di two-year format for Afcon competitions.
Di next competition go happun for 2027 for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
"I dey confident say di 2027 tournament go dey successful, di Afcon competition also na about celebrating African football and di rich culture for Africa, wey dey bring pipo from di 54 Africa kontris togeda," Caf president Motsepe tok.
Caf executive committee dey believe say dis decision to return di competition to two years "dey for di interest of Africa football and di member associations wey e also go contribute to di growth and development of football for Africa."
As kontris don dey play di qualifiers for di 2027 competition, di continent still dey wait for di decision from di Court of arbitration for sports (Cas) about who be winner for di 2025 competition.
Senegal bin win di controversial final 1-0 for 18 January against host kontri Morocco for extra time.
Chaos happun for dat game afta Senegal coach ask im players to waka comot di park in protest some referee decision for di final.
Di Senegalese players return to di park afta more than 10 minutes when Sadio Mane and oda officials bin beg dem to return to finish di game.
Na so Senegal now score di only goal for extra time to win di trophy.
But for 17 March 2026, Caf appeals board bin rule say Senegal bin lose di final sake of dem waka comot di park against Caf rules and without di permission of di referee.
Di rules tok say if players or dia team waka comot di park for football game, dem bin lose di game automatically 3-0, wey dem go award di results to di oda team.
Per dis rules, di Caf appeals board tok say Morocco bin win di final to become Afcon champions.
Dat decision bin shock di football world, wey pipo don dey divided ova di decision.
Senegal file appeal for di Court of arbitration for sports (Cas) wey di football body begin dey hear di case wey dem no yet announce dia verdict.
Africa begin to dey organise di Afcon for February 1957, wit only three teams – Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Egypt bin win di first edition afta dem sama host kontri Sudan, di Pharaohs bin win di next edition for 1959 bifor dem lose to Ethiopia for di 1962 final.
Di number of kontris increase from three (1957) to four teams (1962) to six teams (1963).
Later, between 1968 – 1990, eight teams bin dey compete bifor di teams increase to 12 between 1992 – 1994.
Between 1996-2017, 16 teams bin play for di Afcon bifor di number now increase to 24 kontris from 2019.
Egypt na di most successful team for di Afcon wit seven titles, Cameroon bin dey behind dem wit five, Ghana get four and Nigeria, Ivory Coast get three titles each.
Algeria and DR Congo get two titles.
