The calendar question is back on the table less than a year after African football appeared to have settled it. Patrice Motsepe has indicated that the Africa Cup of Nations could yet return to a two-year cycle, a development that would again place Ligue 1 clubs on alert over the availability of their African internationals.
Speaking on Friday during a CAF strategic conference in Cape Verde, the Confederation of African Football president said the governing body had revisited the timing of its flagship tournament in recent days. CAF is considering every possible format, Motsepe said, including a restoration of the biennial AFCON schedule.
A decision that may not be final
In December 2025, CAF decided that editions following the postponed 2028 tournament would be staged every four years. The change was tied to plans for an African Nations League, which is due to begin in 2029 and was expected to reshape the international calendar on the continent.
Motsepe’s latest comments suggest that framework could be altered before it takes effect. A return to a tournament every two years would require CAF to reconsider how the planned Nations League fits alongside AFCON, with the two competitions potentially competing for already limited space in the schedule.
For French clubs, the issue carries familiar consequences. AFCON has regularly removed key Ligue 1 players during the winter period, often at a decisive stage of the domestic season. No formal reversal has been announced, but CAF’s renewed discussion means the four-year plan is no longer beyond question.
