how often is the african nations cup

The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years, but from 2028 it is scheduled to move to every four years.

Current schedule

• Since 1968, the Africa Cup of Nations has traditionally been a biennial (every two years) tournament.

• Upcoming editions in 2025 and 2027 are still planned under this two-year cycle.

Change from 2028 onward

• The Confederation of African Football has approved a shift to a quadrennial (every four years) format starting with the 2028 edition.

• After 2028, tournaments are expected in 2032, 2036 and so on, aligning more closely with other major continental competitions.

Quick Scoop (forum-style)

In simple terms, if you’re asking “how often is the African Nations Cup?”, right now it’s every two years, but the plan is that after 2028 fans will have to wait four years between tournaments.

• This change has been a big trending discussion point in football forums and news because it affects player availability, club–country tensions, and the tournament’s prestige.

• To fill the gap between AFCONs, CAF is introducing an annual African Nations League from 2029, so there will still be regular African international competition even as AFCON itself becomes less frequent.

TL;DR:

• Until 2027: every two years.
• From 2028: every four years.