The Confederation of African Soccer (CAF) has introduced important reforms to the Africa Cup of Nations format.
Following the 2027 match, AFCON will develop from 24 groups to twenty-eight groups. As well as, the competitors will now be held each 4 years as a substitute of each two years. CAF additionally plans to align the match calendar inside the June – July window.
Softfootball gathered that these structural adjustments are geared toward enhancing scheduling, growing world enchantment, and accommodating extra nationwide groups throughout the continent.
The replace comes after AFCON 2025, hosted in Morocco, the place Senegal nationwide soccer workforce emerged champions. Increasing the competitors to twenty-eight groups suggests CAF’s intention to supply broader illustration and developmental alternatives for rising soccer nations in Africa.
The shift to a four-year cycle might additionally scale back calendar congestion and higher align AFCON with different main worldwide tournaments.
Some observers notice that these changes might transfer AFCON nearer to the structural mannequin of competitions such because the UEFA Nations League when it comes to strategic planning and scheduling.
Whereas full implementation particulars are but to be clarified, this marks some of the important adjustments in AFCON’s fashionable historical past.
Softfootball will proceed to watch additional bulletins as CAF outlines the subsequent part of this transformation.
