February 14, (THEWILL) — Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations finals could expand to 28 teams, while reiterating that the tournament will move to a four-year cycle after 2028. He made the remarks during a press conference in Tanzania, without giving a timeline for the proposed increase.
The competition has featured 24 teams across its past four editions, having grown from 16. Under the current format, the finalists are split into six groups of four. Motsepe did not set out how an additional four teams would be integrated into the structure, though CAF counts 54 member associations, meaning a 28-team tournament would involve more than half of its membership.
Motsepe also confirmed that the 2027 finals will proceed in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, dismissing reports that the event could be moved due to infrastructure concerns. “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,” he said.
The CAF president addressed the controversy surrounding the 2025 final in Rabat, where Senegal briefly left the pitch following a penalty decision. He described the scenes as unacceptable and stated that changes to CAF statutes and its disciplinary code would be introduced to allow stronger sanctions.
“Our goal is to protect the integrity, reputation, and global standing of African football,” Motsepe said. Both Senegal, who went on to win the final, and Morocco were fined following the incidents in the decider.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
