iDeemlawfulThe Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled a new annual African Nations League aimed at addressing the competitive and commercial gap created by the decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle.
The adjustment brings to an end a 56-year tradition, as AFCON has been staged every two years since 1968. The new arrangement will take effect after the 2027 tournament in East Africa and the already scheduled 2028 edition, with the next AFCON slated for 2032 to align with the European Championship timetable.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the decision was a necessary compromise reached with FIFA to “significantly” align and streamline the crowded global football calendar, helping to reduce long-standing club-versus-country tensions that have frequently disrupted the European season.
To ensure continuous top-level competition, the African Nations League will involve all 54 CAF member associations, grouped into four regional zones: Northern, Eastern, Western and Central, and Southern Africa.
The competition’s league phase will take place annually in September and October during FIFA’s international windows, before concluding with a final tournament in November where the four zonal winners will contest the overall championship.
Motsepe described the new competition as “the equivalent of an Afcon every year,” stressing that its collaboration with FIFA is intended to attract high-profile sponsors and ensure that “all the best [African] players” based in Europe return home annually for competitive fixtures.
However, the move also signals the close of an era in which AFCON’s distinctive biennial schedule delivered frequent continental celebrations, placing added responsibility on the untested Nations League to win public support and consistently deliver both sporting excellence and commercial success each year.