On the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, CAF president Patrice Motsepe defended the decision to shift the tournament to every four years after 2028. He rejected accusations of undue FIFA influence and announced plans for an African Nations League in 2029. Meanwhile, FIFA officials praised the high quality of the ongoing AFCON 2025.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced last month its plan to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a biennial to a quadrennial schedule starting after 2028, a decision that sparked widespread criticism. Several African football figures alleged it was imposed by FIFA, whose president Gianni Infantino had advocated for a four-year cycle six years earlier. Speaking at a press conference in Rabat on January 17, 2026, ahead of the AFCON 2025 final between hosts Morocco and Senegal, CAF president Patrice Motsepe firmly rejected these claims of external pressure from Zurich.
"We didn’t do as good a job at CAF in preparing the ground on this Afcon every four years. We must make sure that our everyday people, who we account to, must understand what we have done is good for them," Motsepe said. He emphasized the benefits for African football, stating, "This is the right decision. We will indeed have a new competition, and it will be enormously successful. African football will be better." Motsepe also called for greater African confidence, independent of influences from bodies like FIFA or UEFA, and stressed the need to educate stakeholders about the changes.
Historically, the biennial AFCON provided around 80 percent of CAF's budget through revenue. However, Motsepe noted that AFCON revenues are now significantly lower than those projected for the new African Nations League, set to launch in 2029. "We are absolutely convinced it will work."
In related developments, FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger praised the tournament's intensity during a workshop with the Technical Study Group in Rabat on January 16. "The intensity was very high. The mental attitude of all the teams was very strong, and the physical level was absolutely unbelievable," he said, highlighting the narrow quality gaps among teams and the rise of African coaches leading the semi-finalists. Wenger commended the finalists' technical maturity and the TSG's analytical work.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also sent a message commending both teams for their impressive runs to the final, scheduled for January 18 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
