Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe says a decision on the future frequency of the Africa Cup of Nations will be announced shortly, after member associations backed a possible return to a two-year cycle.
Motsepe said CAF was continuing to consult its members and would choose what it considers to be in the best interests of African football.
Speaking during a CNN Global Perspectives interview in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, Motsepe said several associations had written to CAF in support of holding AFCON every two years.
“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, CAF interim General Secretary Samson Adamu sent a memorandum to all 54 member associations asking whether they preferred the tournament to be staged every two or four years.
The deadline for responses was Wednesday, with the submissions expected to form part of CAF’s review of the competition’s schedule.
Possible reversal of four-year plan
In December 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Motsepe announced that CAF’s Executive Committee had agreed to change AFCON from a two-year to a four-year cycle.
That proposal was criticised by sections of the African football community, amid concerns over its effect on the continent’s football calendar and the income generated by the tournament.
AFCON is a significant source of revenue for CAF, which uses funds from the competition to support other tournaments and football development programmes across Africa.
Reports have also suggested that Morocco and FIFA had played important roles in the decision to move to a four-year cycle. Financial support was reportedly discussed to help offset the consequences of staging AFCON less frequently.
Motsepe indicated at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde earlier this month that the plan could be reconsidered, after member associations expressed support for restoring the previous format.
Reinstating a two-year schedule would overturn the position announced in Morocco and could affect both CAF’s competition calendar and its finances.
Questions over Motsepe’s future
The interview also renewed speculation about Motsepe’s future as CAF president and whether he might leave the role before his current term ends in 2029.
The speculation has been linked to developments involving South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), which is due to hold its presidential elections in December 2027.
Motsepe was asked about his plans for the next 18 months, although details of his answer were not included in the available account.
He was first elected CAF president in March 2021 and was re-elected unopposed in March 2025 for a second term, which runs until 2029.
