The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced one of the most significant restructurings in the history of African football, unveiling a new African Nations League that will replace the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The reform, presented by CAF President Patrice Motsepe, aims to modernise the continent’s national team calendar, create more competitive fixtures, and allow more African-based and foreign-based stars to feature in continental competitions.
The new plan introduces a multi-tiered African Nations League format, while AFCON is set to become a four-year tournament, with a possible expansion from 24 to 28 teams. “The reforms are designed to raise standards, offer more competitive opportunities, and align African football more closely with global structures,” Motsepe said.
The African Nations League will feature two formats: the African Nations League – Continental, an annual competition with zonal qualifiers and a centralised finals setup, and the African Nations League – Pan-African, a broader tournament every two years, similar in structure to AFCON.
Unlike CHAN, which was limited to players active in domestic leagues, the new African Nations League is expected to be open to all eligible players, including African internationals based in Europe and other global leagues. The 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will proceed as planned, followed by another edition in 2028, before the competition settles into its future four-year cycle.
