BREAKING End of an era: AFCON to be held every four years!

African football is heading for a historic shake-up. The Africa Cup of Nations will be played every four years from 2028, CAF president Patrice Motsepe has announced, bringing an end to the tournament's long-standing biennial format.

AFCON has been staged every two years since 1968, becoming one of the most recognisable - and disruptive - fixtures on the global football calendar. That will change after the 2027 edition in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, followed by a transitional tournament in 2028. From then on, Africa's flagship competition will align with a quadrennial cycle, taking place in the same years as the European Championship.

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In parallel, CAF will introduce a brand-new African Nations League, set to launch in 2029 and to be played annually - a move designed to keep international football active while easing pressure on clubs.

"We have the most exciting new structure for African football," Motsepe said after CAF's executive committee meeting in Morocco, on the eve of the 2025 AFCON finals in Rabat. "The global calendar must be far more synchronised and harmonised."

The decision was taken in coordination with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, underlining a growing alignment between CAF and the world governing body.

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CAF also confirmed a significant financial boost: the AFCON winners' prize money will rise from $7 million to $10 million, reinforcing the tournament's prestige despite fewer editions.

The calendar issue has long been a source of friction. Although CAF intended to move AFCON permanently to June-July from 2019, Covid-19 disruptions and extreme weather conditions in West Africa forced the 2021 and 2023 tournaments in Cameroon and Ivory Coast to be held in January and February - at the height of the European season.

This year's tournament in Morocco will be played over Christmas and New Year, with the final scheduled for 18 January, another unprecedented adjustment. Dates for the 2027 finals are still to be confirmed, while the host nation for AFCON 2028 has yet to be decided.

After that, the message from CAF is clear: fewer tournaments, less chaos - and a new era for African football.

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - GROUP STAGE

Sunday

22.00: (1.15) Morocco (7.50) Comores (20.0)

Monday

17.00: (1.60) Mali (3.60) Zambia (6.50)

20.00: (2.60) S.Africa (2.90) Angola (3.05)

23.00: (1.37) Egypt (4.50) Zimbabwe (10.0)

Tuesday

15.30: (1.67) Dr Congo (3.50) Benin (5.80)

18.00: (1.25) Senegal (5.70) Botswana (13.0)

20.30: (1.45) Nigeria (4.20) Tanzania (8.00)

23.00: (1.70) Tunisia (3.50) Uganda (5.50)

Wednesday

15.30: (1.80) Burkina Faso (3.50) Equatorial Guinea (4.70)

18.00: (1.45) Algeria (4.20) Sudan (8.00)

20.30: (1.40) Ivory Coast (4.50) Mozambique (8.50)

23.00: (2.15) Cameroon (3.25) Gabon (3.60)

***odds are subject to change***