Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe says a decision on whether the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to a two-year cycle will be announced soon.
Motsepe indicated that there was widespread support among CAF member associations for a return to the previous format, with the continental governing body reviewing its earlier decision to stage the tournament every four years.
Speaking during a CNN Global Perspectives interview in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, Motsepe confirmed that CAF had received several submissions from member associations on the issue.
“I made an announcement a few weeks ago in Cape Verde that we will be reviewing, and there was popular support for going back to two years, which is something that I have always supported,” he said.
“We will take the right decision. I am very clear in my mind; I have received a lot of correspondence from our member associations on what should happen, to have the AFCON every two years.
“A decision will be taken, and I am confident the right decision will be made, and we will announce that decision very soon.”
Earlier this week, the office of CAF interim General Secretary Samson Adamu sent a memorandum to all 54 member associations, requesting their views on whether AFCON should be held every two or four years. The deadline for submissions was Wednesday.
In December 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Motsepe announced that the CAF Executive Committee had agreed to move the tournament from a two-year to a four-year cycle.
The proposal attracted criticism from sections of the African football community, with concerns raised about its potential impact on the continent’s football calendar and the revenue generated by the competition.
AFCON is a major source of income for CAF, helping to fund other competitions and football development programmes across Africa.
Reports have also suggested that Morocco and FIFA played significant roles in influencing the shift to a four-year cycle, with financial support reportedly discussed to help offset the consequences of staging the tournament less frequently.
However, Motsepe signalled a possible change of direction during the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde earlier this month, saying the organisation was reviewing the plan following support for a return to the biennial format.
A decision to restore the two-year cycle would reverse the position announced in Morocco and have implications for CAF’s competition schedule and finances.
Motsepe’s future as CAF president also came into focus during the interview, amid speculation that he could leave the position before the end of his current term in 2029.
The speculation has been linked to developments within South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), which is scheduled to hold its presidential elections in December 2027.
Motsepe was asked about his future over the next 18 months, although details of his response were not included in the available account.
The South African businessman was elected CAF president in March 2021 and re-elected unopposed in March 2025 for a second term, which is scheduled to run until 2029.
Source: GhanaSoccerNet
