Africa-Press. CAF President Patrice Motsepe said on Friday that the number of teams taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals could rise to 28, and he confirmed that the tournament will be held every four years in the future.
Speaking at a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, Motsepe said there are plans to expand the finals to 28 teams, without specifying when the change would take effect.
Twenty-four teams have taken part in the finals in each of the last four editions of the continental tournament, after the competition was expanded from 16 to 24 teams.
The 24 teams are currently divided into six groups of four, but Motsepe did not explain how four additional teams would be accommodated in the tournament format going forward.
CAF has 54 member associations, so a 28-team finals would include more than half of its members.
Motsepe also reiterated that AFCON will be staged every four years after 2028—a decision that drew substantial criticism when it was first announced in December.
The tournament has been held every two years since 1968.
