A lack of respect? African football bows to pressure with Afcon change
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A fan posing for a picture in front of the Afcon 2025 symbol outside the Fan Zone in Morocco, where the tournament is being held from Dec 21 to Jan 18. After the 2028 edition, Afcon will be held every four years instead of two.
PHOTO: AFP
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RABAT – The decision by African football bosses to change the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) from a biennial competition to a tournament held once every four years has drawn mixed reactions across the continent, with some seeing it as simply caving in to pressure from European clubs and FIFA, football’s world governing body.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe made the landmark announcement following a meeting with FIFA chiefs
The next edition is set for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in 2027. Motsepe said another Afcon will be in 2028, after which the tournament will be held in four-year cycles.
It is a radical shift for a competition typically held at two-year intervals since the first edition in 1957, and the money generated by Afcon is crucial to the finances of national federations.
To that end, the creation of a new African Nations League – modelled after Europe’s UEFA Nations League – is seen as a way of boosting coffers instead. It is set to take place annually from 2029.
Motsepe’s announcement has generated controversy even within CAF.
Many inside African football’s governing body believe the change simply grants European clubs what they have long demanded – something previously opposed by former CAF presidents Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.
A source within the CAF’s competitions department told AFP that they were taken by surprise.
“Organising two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations in consecutive years is extremely difficult, especially since the 2027 tournament will be held in the (Northern hemisphere) summer,” the source said.
There will be little time to stage qualifiers for the 2028 edition, and it will be difficult to find a suitable space in the calendar for that tournament – Euro 2028 will dominate attention in June and July that year and will be immediately followed by the Olympics in Los Angeles.
The source recognised that Afcon was held in consecutive years in 2012 and 2013 but pointed out: “Back then, the tournament only included 16 teams, not 24, and the qualifiers were based on head-to-head matches, not group stages, which is difficult to replicate now.”
South African Motsepe acknowledged the move was made at least partly due to pressure from Europe, where so many African stars play.
Major European clubs have long complained about needing to release African players every two years in the middle of their season to participate in Afcon.
“Dates are secondary and won’t change the level of African football or its contribution to Europe by providing many talented players,” said Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi.
Tom Saintfiet, Mali’s Belgian coach, said the move was “abnormal”, adding that “Africa must be respected”.
Paul Put, another veteran Belgian coach who oversees Uganda, pointed out that African football was being squeezed from all sides by FIFA’s taste for expanding competitions.
“I honestly don’t understand CAF’s decision, and we are unfortunately not happy. That’s my initial feeling. Perhaps the problem lies with the World Cup and the Club World Cup,” he said.
Lesser lights like his team will now have fewer opportunities to impress on the continental stage while Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco, sees the positives and negatives.
“Having it every two years helped a lot of teams develop and progress, and it is going to be even harder to win it now,” he said.
“Football is changing. I don’t necessarily agree with the changes but we need to adapt. I think this competition is as strong as the Euros. In the next 15 to 20 years this competition will be followed by even more people and an Afcon every four years will be an event nobody wants to miss.”
Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez, currently appearing at his sixth Afcon, added: “I think it will make the competition more attractive.”
On the pitch, 10-man Egypt became the first team to qualify for the round of 16 after edging out South Africa 1-0, thanks to Mohamed Salah’s penalty in first-half stoppage time in Agadir. They top Group B with six points while the Bafana Bafana have three.
Earlier, Angola and Zimbabwe played out a 1-1 draw in Marrakech which left both sides facing early elimination in the group. AFP
