Berlin, Dec 21, (dpa/GNA) – The men’s Africa Cup of Nations will be staged every four years from 2028, instead of every two and a new African Nations League will be introduced from 2029.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe announced the moves at a news conference in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Saturday, ahead of the starts of this year’s tournament on Sunday.
The changes were in the interests of Africam as the global calendar needs to be much better synchronized and harmonized, he said.
The news will be welcomed by European clubs, who have became fed up with having to let African players go every two years in the middle of their seasons. Previous attempts to play the tournament in the summer months have flopped.
Motsepe said the 2027 Cup, hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, would take place as planned, and the edition originally envisaged for 2029 would be brought forward to 2028.
The following Africa Cup of Nations will then be held in 2032, meaning it will be on a four-year cycle like the European Championship and the World Cup.
The change of rhythm could allow the African Nations League to make its debut in 2029. According to Motsepe, all 54 member associations on the continent will take part, with matches in September and October before a final in November.
GNA