Why has Caf abandoned plans to hold Afcon every four years?

The Africa Cup of Nations will remain on a two-year cycle after the Confederation of African Football performed a U-turn on a decision taken last December. Sadio Mane's Senegal won Afcon 2025 but the result was later overturned in favour of Morocco, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport will determine the ultimate destination of the title After a shock announcement 10 months ago that the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) would be held every four years, the governing body of football on the continent has reversed course. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will instead retain the tournament's traditional biennial staging, with its president Patrice Motsepe saying the U-turn was based on "advancing, protecting and promoting" the interests of the African game.

The first indication that the frequency of Afcon was being reconsidered came at Caf's strategy conference in Cape Verde earlier this month. Questions are now being asked about the decision-making process and what this means for the future of African football. Afcon has predominantly been held every two years since its first edition in 1957, barring two three-year gaps in the 1960s and one year between the 2012 and 2013 tournaments. On the eve of the 2025 finals in Morocco, Motsepe announced all that would change from 2028. The South African said the shift to a four-year