CAF faces allegations of not consulting federations on four-year AFCON cycle

The Guardian has reported allegations against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for not consulting local federation presidents regarding the decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years starting in 2028.

According to the report, several African football federation presidents claimed they were only informed of the decision after it was publicly announced by CAF President Patrice Motsepe on December 20, raising concerns that the move may have violated CAF’s statutes, which require major competition changes to be approved by all 54 member associations.

Sources within CAF told The Guardian that initial discussions were limited to a small group within the executive committee, followed by consultation with all 24 members of the executive committee before confirming the change. One federation president, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: “The decision had already been made. They said it would be discussed in Morocco, but no discussion took place. We are wasting our efforts. If a general assembly meeting had been held allowing all presidents to vote, the decision would never have passed.”

When was the AFCON four-year cycle first suggested?

Constant Omari, former CAF vice-president, noted that the plan to hold Africa Cup of Nations every four years was first publicly suggested by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a CAF seminar in Morocco in 2020, but it faced strong opposition from federation presidents.

The idea to move AFCON to a four-year cycle was raised in an executive committee meeting about a month before Motsepe’s announcement. Several federation presidents claimed they only learned of the proposal through rumors and informal conversations. CAF, however, stated that the executive committee members voted unanimously for the change. Following the vote, Motsepe met with all 54 federation presidents to brief them on the decisions and answer questions.

CAF insisted that Article 23.10 of its statutes grants the executive committee authority over all matters related to CAF competitions, giving it the right to make the decision.

The Guardian also reported that several players and coaches in the current AFCON tournament expressed concern over the change, but federation presidents were reportedly hesitant to speak publicly due to potential repercussions from CAF.

Famous figures supported CAF decision

The full executive committee met in Morocco last month, a day before Motsepe confirmed the change. The meeting included representatives from 23 federations. Reports suggest that Fouzi Lekjaa, CAF vice-president and president of the Moroccan Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, and other officials strongly supported the decision, which will come into effect starting from 2028.

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