According to L’รquipe, following the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee meeting held in Cairo, Egypt, on March 29th 2026, CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will undergo a format change.
CAF President P.Motsepe in his announcement stated that the Africa Cup of Nations will have an expanded format with the number of participating teams rising from 24 to 28. Specific details have yet to be disclosed, and it remains unclear at which edition the expansion will take effect.
READ: Williams defends Foster after missed chances
๐จ๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: CAFโs shock decision to expand AFCON from 24 to 28 teams will completely reshape qualification across the continent ๐ณ
โ Four extra slots open the door for more nations than ever before
โ Qualification groups expected to be restructured withโฆ pic.twitter.com/awVoQN9dDh— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) March 29, 2026
Motsepe confirmed that the next AFCON tournament will proceed as scheduled in 2027, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Another tournament will follow in 2028, after which the competition will be adjusted to a fixed four-year cycle.
Additionally, Motsepe announced that starting in 2029, CAF will launch a Nations League, a biennial competition featuring 16 teams.
This announcement by CAF and its president comes after the governing body of football on the continent went under immense scrutiny in the past week following a ruling that overturned Senegal’s 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations triumph to crowning host nation Morocco winners by a 3-0.
Photo: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
