Africa Cup of Nations Expansion Plan Rejected

A plan to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams has been rejected, the Guardian has learned.

The proposal had been made by the Confederation of African Football’s president, Patrice Motsepe, in February at a press conference in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. Had it been agreed it would have been put in place for the 2028 tournament.

Two Caf executive committee members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it had been voted down.

One Caf executive committee membersaid: “We took a round-robin vote and the proposal was soundly rejected. It was a very bad idea. I do not know why Motsepe proposed it in the first place. There is absolutely no reason for it.”

A second committee member said Motsepe had made his proposal without consulting the committee.

Luxolo September, Caf’s communications director, told the Guardian the proposal to expand the Afcon was only “one aspect” of the debate on how to improve the tournament.

He said: “For the last two years or so, Caf leadership has been discussing both in person and through written communication the implementation of the vision of making Caf competitions, in particular, the Caf Africa Cup of Nations, world-class … The debate and discussion is not limited to one aspect. The conversation on the Caf Africa Cup of Nations format is an ongoing discussion within Caf.”

The next Afcon, in June-July 2027, is to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Caf says bids for 2028 have come from Ethiopia, Morocco and jointly from Botswana and South Africa. “Caf recently launched the bidding process for hosting rights,” September said. “Caf leadership is united behind one vision: making African football amongst the best in the world.”