The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has reversed its plan to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, opting instead to retain the tournament's traditional two-year cycle — a dramatic about-face less than a year after the original announcement.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe confirmed the U-turn, stating the decision was made in the interest of "advancing, protecting and promoting" African football. The reversal followed a consultation in which Caf's 54 member associations were asked to choose between the four-year format and the existing biennial schedule, with the executive committee ultimately voting to restore the status quo.

How the four-year plan came about

Motsepe unveiled the shift to a four-year cycle on the eve of the 2025 finals in Morocco, arguing it would help synchronise the global football calendar. Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafstrom was present at the announcement, prompting criticism that the change served Fifa's interests more than Africa's.

The original decision was made at a Caf executive committee meeting last December — without a vote at a general assembly where all member nations have a voice. Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi told the BBC that decisions of this magnitude should have been debated openly: "Afcon is the locomotive by which Caf funds all of its other competitions."

Sydney Mungala of the Football Association of Zambia echoed that sentiment, noting the proposed switch had come as a surprise. "The general sentiment around the continent has been that the two-year cycle has served the continent very well," he said.

The role of money

Afcon is Caf's primary revenue engine. The Morocco 2025 edition was projected to generate $192m (£143m) — representing 66 percent of Caf's total income from competitions across all categories. A profit of $114m (£85m) was forecast for the tournament, up from $75m (£56m) at the previous finals in Ivory Coast.

In place of a biennial Afcon, Caf had proposed an annual Africa Nations League involving all 54 continental associations. Motsepe described it as a "world-class competition every year," designed to reduce Caf's dependence on Afcon and build a more sustainable commercial model.

However, the ill-fated Africa Super League — launched in 2022 with projected revenues of $200m (£149m) per year — was discontinued after just one edition when commercial deals fell short. Motsepe acknowledged partners had not delivered the expected returns, casting doubt on whether any replacement competition could fill Afcon's financial role.

Mungala underlined just how critical Caf's distributions are at the national level: "We have 11 Zambian national teams and only two are partly sponsored by government. The rest have to be supported from the FA's coffers."

Fifa's influence on the decision

Fifa president Gianni Infantino had first publicly floated the idea of a four-year Afcon cycle in February 2020. Though Motsepe initially rejected the proposal after taking office, their relationship has remained close — buoyed, in part, by Infantino's push to expand the Fifa World Cup to 48 teams and increase Africa's representation.

Yet Infantino's position has come under pressure since a plan to sell stakes in Fifa's competitions was leaked in July. He attended Caf's strategy conference in Cape Verde this month, widely seen as an effort to shore up support ahead of his re-election bid.

Mezahi told the BBC the dynamic suggested a political exchange: "He came to Cape Verde to generate support. And, by and large, Africa gave him that support. But I think they did that in a quid pro quo — they gave him support in return for some concessions. And I think the main concession was the return of the Africa Cup of Nations to a two-year cycle."

What comes next for Afcon

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July. Motsepe has previously urged organisers to move with greater urgency to ensure stadiums and infrastructure are completed on time.

Afcon 2028 will follow just one year later — a scheduling quirk that dates back to Caf's planning for the now-abandoned four-year format. Subsequent editions are pencilled in for 2031 and 2033 to avoid overlapping with the Fifa World Cup. A host nation for 2028 has yet to be confirmed.

The Africa Nations League, meanwhile, is provisionally set to launch in September 2029, though Motsepe's latest remarks suggest it may run every two years rather than annually as first announced. How that competition will coexist with Afcon years from 2031 onwards remains unresolved.

Caf's reversal at least preserves the continent's most celebrated football tradition — but the broader challenge of building a financial model that genuinely serves African football, rather than simply accommodating the global game's demands, remains as pressing as ever.