"Four years is a very long time": Renard puts pressure on CAF to reverse Africa Cup of Nations decision
The Africa Cup of Nations looks set to revert to a biennial tournament. CAF's decision to move it to a four-year cycle from 2028 sparked widespread objections across African football, and now president Patrice Motsepe has hinted the decision could be reversed.
Back in December 2025, CAF announced that AFCON would be staged every four years from the 2028 edition. No consultation with the parties concerned, no vote. That approach angered a swathe of federation officials and fans alike, given the standing the tournament enjoys across the continent.
Motsepe reopened the file at a recent conference on African football in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, suggesting the tournament could carry on under the old system of being held every two years.
According to Afrik-Foot, the proposal to revert is expected to go to a vote at CAF's next ordinary general assembly on 21 November in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. That falls roughly 11 months after the original decision was announced during the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco.
Renard gives his view
Hervé Renard is among the loudest voices calling for the old format. The Ivory Coast head coach reckons holding AFCON every two years remains the most suitable option, and he rejects the idea of waiting four years between editions.
Speaking to "Afrik-Foot", the Frenchman said: "I think returning to holding the Africa Cup of Nations every two years is excellent, and that the tournament should continue as it was in the past. Holding the tournament every four years is far too long in my view, but that is my personal opinion."
DR Congo coach Sébastien Desabre backed the same idea, stressing that African football needs the tournament to stay on a two-year cycle.
At the same time as the AFCON format change, CAF also scrapped the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition restricted to players active in African leagues. The governing body put that call down to economic viability.
