CAF rejects Africa Cup of Nations expansion plan
CAF has rejected a proposal to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams, preserving the current format while wider discussions continue over the competition’s commercial and scheduling model.
CAF’s executive committee has rejected a proposal to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams, maintaining the current format for the continent’s flagship national-team competition.CAF president Patrice Motsepe had proposed the expansion earlier this year, with the revised format expected to be introduced at the 2028 tournament.One executive committee member said: “We took a round-robin vote and the proposal was soundly rejected. It was a very bad idea. I do not know why Motsepe proposed it in the first place. There is absolutely no reason for it.”A second committee member said Motsepe had presented the proposal without consulting the executive committee in advance.The rejection highlights internal debate over the future scale and structure of the tournament, which expanded from 16 to 24 teams in 2019.Adding four teams would have increased the number of matches, participants and operational requirements, creating potential inventory growth for broadcasters and sponsors but additional costs for hosts and organisers.CAF communications director Luxolo September said: “For the last two years or so, CAF leadership has been discussing both in person and through written communication the implementation of the vision of making CAF competitions, in particular, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, world-class.“The debate and discussion is not limited to one aspect. The conversation on the CAF Africa Cup of Nations format is an ongoing discussion within CAF.”The 2027 tournament is scheduled to be staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with the three East African countries sharing hosting responsibilities.CAF is also preparing for another edition in 2028 before moving the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle.Ethiopia and Morocco have submitted bids to host the 2028 tournament, alongside a proposed joint bid involving Botswana and South Africa.The decision means prospective hosts can continue planning around the existing 24-team model, although CAF’s broader review of the competition format remains ongoing.