By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has shelved plans to expand the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 24 to 28 teams, rejecting a proposal that would have altered the format of the continent’s flagship tournament from the 2028 edition, Prompt News Online reports.
The proposal, first unveiled by CAF president Patrice Motsepe during a press conference in Dar es Salaam in February, failed to secure the support of the federation’s Executive Committee during a vote.
As a result, AFCON will continue with its current 24-team format, which has been in place since the 2019 edition. According to Executive Committee members who spoke anonymously, the proposal attracted minimal backing during discussions.
“We took a round-robin vote and the proposal was soundly rejected. It was a very bad idea. I do not know why Motsepe proposed it in the first place. There is absolutely no reason for it,” one committee member said.
Another committee member claimed the proposal was introduced without prior consultation with the Executive Committee, a factor that reportedly contributed to its rejection.
Despite the outcome of the vote, CAF has maintained that discussions over the future of the competition remain ongoing.
CAF Communications Director Luxolo September explained that the expansion proposal was only one element of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing the stature of African football’s premier tournament.
He said:
“For the last two years or so, CAF leadership has been discussing both in person and through written communication the implementation of the vision of making CAF competitions, in particular the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, world-class. The debate and discussion is not limited to one aspect. The conversation on the CAF Africa Cup of Nations format is an ongoing discussion within CAF.”
CAF has consistently reiterated its ambition to raise AFCON’s global profile while preserving the tournament’s competitive standard.
The decision comes just months after one of the most hotly debated editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, further highlighting CAF’s cautious approach to making significant changes to the competition.
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