Caf's decision to switch Afcon to four-year cycle costs over $1bn deal
The Guardian Sport • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 7, 2026, 7:00 AM
Last updated Aug 7, 2026

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) abandoned a deal worth at least $1bn due to its decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial to a quadrennial event. This decision resulted in the discontinuation of the 2025 bidding process. Caf has not secured a long-term financial agreement since 2019. Patrice Motsepe, Caf president, indicated that a resolution regarding the bidding for subsequent tournaments would be made later.
- •Caf switched Afcon to a four-year cycle.
- •Abandoned deal was worth at least $1bn over eight years.
- •Caf has lacked a long-term financial deal since 2019.
- •No winning bid announced yet for 2025.
- •Decision was made on July 5, 2025.
- 7:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — Afcon’s biennial switch cost African governing body deal worth more than $1bn
"Change to four-year cycle led to abandonment of 2025 bid Caf has not had long-term financial deal since 2019 A deal worth at least $1bn in secured income over eight years was abandoned by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) because the governing body decided to switch the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial to a four-yearly event, the Guardian can reveal. On 5 July 2025, the eve of the delayed Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, told the Guardian in Rabat, after a prolonged discussion of the bidding process at an executive committee meeting, that a decision on a winning bid would be made “in due course”. Continue reading...
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