AFCON: Motsepe says decision on two-year cycle will be announced soon

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe says a decision on whether the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will return to a two-year cycle will be announced soon.

Motsepe said CAF had received submissions from several member associations supporting a return to the previous format, adding that the governing body would make a decision in the best interests of African football.

Speaking during a CNN Global Perspectives interview in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, the South African businessman confirmed that consultations over the tournament's future were ongoing.

“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,” Motsepe 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, the office of CAF interim General Secretary Samson Adamu sent a memorandum to all 54 member associations, asking them to state their preference for holding AFCON every two or four years.

The deadline for submissions was Wednesday, with the responses expected to inform CAF's review of the competition's schedule.

In December 2025, during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Motsepe announced that the CAF Executive Committee had agreed to move the tournament from a two-year to a four-year cycle.

The proposal attracted criticism from sections of the African football community, with concerns raised about its impact on the continent's football calendar and the financial benefits generated by the competition.

AFCON is a major revenue source for CAF, helping to fund other competitions and football development programmes across Africa.

Reports have also suggested that Morocco and FIFA played significant roles in influencing the move to a four-year cycle, with financial support reportedly discussed to help offset the implications of staging the tournament less frequently.

Motsepe signalled a possible reconsideration of the plan at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde earlier this month, following support from member associations for a return to the previous format.

A decision to restore the two-year cycle would reverse the position announced in Morocco and could have significant implications for CAF's competition calendar and finances.

The interview also brought renewed attention to speculation about Motsepe's future as CAF president, with questions raised about whether he could leave the position before his current term expires in 2029.

The speculation has been linked to developments within South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC), which is scheduled to hold its presidential elections in December 2027.

Motsepe was asked about his plans for the next 18 months, although details of his response were not included in the available account.

The South African businessman was elected CAF president in March 2021 and re-elected unopposed in March 2025 for a second term, which is due to end in 2029.