The Africa Cup of Nations will remain a 24-team tournament after a proposal to expand it to 28 teams was rejected by the Confederation of African Football's executive committee, the Guardian has learned.
Proposal and rejection
Caf president Patrice Motsepe proposed the expansion in February during a press conference in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. If approved, the change would have taken effect for the 2028 tournament. However, two Caf executive committee members, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the proposal was voted down in a round-robin vote.
One committee member said: “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.” Another committee member noted that Motsepe made his proposal without consulting the committee.
Caf's response
Luxolo September, Caf's communications director, told the Guardian that the expansion proposal was only one aspect of broader discussions on improving the tournament. “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,” September said. “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.”
Future tournaments
The next Afcon is scheduled for June-July 2027, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Caf has launched the bidding process for the 2028 edition, with bids from Ethiopia, Morocco, and a joint bid from Botswana and South Africa. “Caf recently launched the bidding process for hosting rights,” September added. “Caf leadership is united behind one vision: making African football amongst the best in the world.”
