CAF Expands Africa Cup Of Nations to 28 Teams
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will expand the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 24 to 28 teams, CAF president Patrice Motsepe announced on Sunday, marking the tournament’s second expansion in under a decade.
Motsepe made the disclosure at a press conference following an executive committee meeting, describing the decision as a reflection of CAF’s “commitment to world-class football with the best African players from all over the world returning to compete on the continent.”
He did not, however, provide details on how the tournament format would be restructured to accommodate the four additional teams, nor did he specify when the change would take effect.
The expansion builds on a significant precedent. Prior to 2019, AFCON featured 16 teams before CAF increased the field to 24 — a format that has since been used across the last four editions of the competition. Moving to 28 teams would represent the largest single field in the tournament’s history.
On the scheduling of upcoming editions, Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 finals would proceed as planned across three East African co-hosts — Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda — with a second tournament scheduled for 2028, after which the competition would revert to a four-year cycle.
The decision to host the 2027 edition in East Africa is itself a statement of developmental intent. Addressing the broader continental strategy, Motsepe said, “We have to stop this thing of African fixtures not being predictable, consistent and reliable. We must develop football in East Africa, which is an area of much potential.”
CAF also announced plans to launch a Nations League in 2029, featuring a 16-team final tournament to be held every two years. The competition is expected to provide a structured, year-round calendar for African national teams, addressing longstanding concerns about irregular scheduling and the erosion of competitive standards between major tournaments.
AFCON remains the most prestigious national team competition on the African continent. The 2023 edition, held in Côte d’Ivoire, drew record viewership and confirmed growing global interest in African football. The 2025 edition is scheduled to hold in Morocco.
The expansion to 28 teams would open the door for more nations from underrepresented regions — particularly Central, East, and Southern Africa — to qualify for the continent’s flagship football event, giving smaller footballing nations greater access to elite-level competition.
CAF, founded in 1957 and headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, governs football across 54 member associations on the continent. Under Motsepe, who was elected CAF president in March 2021, the body has pursued a series of structural and commercial reforms aimed at repositioning African football on the global stage.
No timeline has been officially confirmed for when the 28-team format will first be applied.