The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed plans to expand the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to 28 teams while maintaining a four-year tournament cycle after 2028.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, made the disclosure on Friday in Dar es Salaam following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee.
ENigeria Newspaper gathered that although no timeline was provided for the proposed expansion, he said the move is intended to boost competitiveness and offer more African nations the opportunity to participate on the continental stage.
AFCON has featured 24 teams in its last four editions, following an earlier expansion from 16. Under the current format, the 24 teams are divided into six groups of four. Motsepe did not outline how an additional four teams would be integrated into the structure if the expansion is approved.
CAF, which comprises 54 member associations, would see more than half of its members represented in a 28-team tournament.
“CAF and African football will be enormously successful this year and the years ahead. We believe that Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will deliver a good tournament next year,” Motsepe said.
Motsepe also reaffirmed that the competition will be staged every four years rather than the previous two-year cycle, a decision that initially generated debate when it was announced in December.
He expressed confidence in the tournament’s future growth and voiced optimism that co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda would successfully stage the next edition
