The president of the South African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, announced on Saturday that the African Nations Cup will be held every 4 years after the scheduled 2028 edition, in a major change from the current frequency of every two years.
Motsepe revealed this shift as part of a comprehensive restructuring of football on the continent, stating "to ensure that the global football calendar is more harmonious".
Organizing the tournament every two years was a primary source of revenue for African national federations, but Motsepe explained that the launch of a new annual tournament under the name "African Nations League," similar to the European Nations League, would help enhance financial resources instead.
Motsepe told reporters in Rabat, on the eve of the opening match of the Morocco edition, "Our focus is now on this edition of the Nations Cup, but in 2027 we will go to Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, and the next edition will be in 2028".
He added "Then, after the Club World Cup in 2029, we will launch the first edition of the African Nations League.. with more prize money, more resources, more competition. And as part of the reorganization (calendar), the African Nations Cup will be held every 4 years".
The continental tournament has been held every two years since its first edition in 1957, but over the last 15 years, it has faced difficulty finding an appropriate place in the crowded global calendar.
The Morocco edition will be the eighth in 15 years, since the 2012 edition held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
