CAF Set To Expand AFCON To 28 Teams

CAF Set To Expand AFCON To 28 Teams

Sampson Adedeji

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering an expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to 28 teams, its president Patrice Motsepe has revealed, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Motsepe made this known during a press conference held after the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The AFCON tournament was expanded from 16 to 24 teams starting from the 2019 edition hosted by Egypt.

The 24-team format has since been retained for the subsequent tournaments, including the 2021 edition in Cameroon, the 2023 tournament in Côte d'Ivoire, and the 2025 edition scheduled to be staged in Morocco.

However, CAF is now exploring the possibility of further increasing the number of participating nations to 28, a move that could significantly reshape the structure of Africa’s flagship football competition.

Motsepe explained that discussions are ongoing within the CAF leadership, with careful consideration being given to competitiveness, commercial growth, and broader representation across the continent.

If approved, the proposed expansion would mark another major milestone in the evolution of the tournament, potentially offering more African nations the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage of continental football.