CAF: the expansion project has been dismissed, the AFCON will remain at 24 teams
The project for an Africa Cup of Nations with 28 teams will not come to fruition. Meeting in executive committee, the CAF rejected the proposal brought forward by its president, Patrice Motsepe, who wanted to implement this reform starting from the 2028 edition
Romaric DéguénonView all articles
On 30 Jun 2026 at 16:02
Updated 30 Jun 2026
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The idea of increasing the number of participants in the Africa Cup of Nations has been abandoned. According to information from the Guardian, the executive committee of the African Football Confederation (CAF) voted against the project to increase the competition from 24 to 28 teams. This reform, supported by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, was meant to take effect from the 2028 edition. However, it did not convince the members of the organization, who deemed such a change unnecessary and untimely.
According to the British media, the rejection of the proposal was largely majority-supported. A member of the executive committee, who requested anonymity, explained that the project did not present any real sporting or organizational justification. Therefore, the CAN will retain its current format of 24 nations, which has been in place since the 2019 edition held in Egypt. This system has allowed for the expansion of the competition while maintaining a balance considered satisfactory by a large part of African football leaders.
