Motsepe Explains Why AFCON Will Skip 2030 Before Returning in 2031

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has defended the decision to retain the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a two-year cycle, explaining why the continental football competition will follow a revised calendar featuring editions in 2031 and 2033.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe explains the decision to retain the two-year tournament cycle.

Motsepe’s comments follow a unanimous decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee to reverse its earlier plan to move AFCON from its traditional two-year schedule to a four-year cycle.

The governing body announced the reversal on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following concerns about the financial sustainability and long-term development prospects of the proposed Africa Nations League.

CAF has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the Africa Cup of Nations as a major continental competition.

According to Motsepe, CAF’s decision was guided by the need to protect African football, its 54 member associations and African players competing for clubs outside the continent.

He explained that the proposed Africa Nations League would require several years before it could generate the financial resources needed to make CAF competitions more competitive and financially sustainable.

The CAF president said maintaining AFCON as a biennial competition would provide greater opportunities to support football development and generate resources for national associations across the continent.

Why AFCON will move to 2031 and 2033

Under the revised calendar, the next AFCON will take place in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are preparing to jointly host the next edition.

The following edition is scheduled for 2028, with subsequent tournaments planned for 2031 and 2033.

Motsepe explained that the decision to skip 2030 is connected to the FIFA World Cup scheduled for that year. CAF intends to avoid holding its major national-team final tournaments during a World Cup year, in keeping with established international football scheduling practices.

The revised calendar therefore accommodates the global football schedule while preserving AFCON’s traditional importance in African football.

2027 tournament remains a priority

Motsepe also expressed confidence in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda’s ability to successfully organise the 2027 competition.

The three East African nations will jointly host the tournament, which is expected to bring together national teams from across the continent.

Beyond the sporting competition, Motsepe described AFCON as an important platform for celebrating Africa’s cultures, traditions and diversity while bringing together people from the continent and the African diaspora.

The decision represents a significant change in CAF’s competition strategy after months of discussions about the future structure of African international football.

For now, the governing body has reaffirmed its commitment to the biennial AFCON format, with the 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033 editions forming the next stages of its revised tournament calendar.