Why Does AFCON Have a Two-Year Cycle?

By Keith Mado July 14, 2024 11:55

Photo by Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

The Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON) is a prestigious international tournament that easily draws football fans' attention to every corner across the continent. The choice to co-host the African Cup of Nations every two years is a decision that has a historical, logistical, and competitive background in what it means for both the tournament on its own and, more broadly, impacting football in Africa. This article will explain why and give some insights into those who are bringing this tournament every two years; it covers the historical context, logistics of staging a cup biennially as opposed to quadrennially, competitive spirit between continents, and much more.

Historical Context

In 1968, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to hold this event every two years as AFCON. This decision was accompanied by the introduction of qualifying rounds, representing a significant increase in the competition's format. This was likely due to a need for regular continental competition and exposure of African players to their national teams. Within this context, the tournament signals largely positive trends in getting on-pitch experience for a crucial number of African football talent development and recognition, both key to young players.

Logistical Considerations

Player Availability

The biennial cycle of AFCON helps to keep a reliable tempo in the football calendar, offering players an opportunity to represent their national teams on the continental stage, which is few and far between otherwise. The competition is slated in a manner that helps maintain uniformity and continuity of the national team, thereby making it mandatory to develop players at younger ages. Moreover, the two-year cycle gives time for the players to prepare as they might have other commitments with their respective clubs.

Football Calendar

The two-year cycle of AFCON fits neatly into the wider international football calendar, spreading out major tournaments and reducing clashes with other continental or worldwide football events. This alignment helps ensure AFCON remains prominent and competitive on the world football stage.

Competitive Dynamics

The effect of the biennial cycle on how closely competitive a tournament is, its evolution or lack thereof, and what it means for team-building development and individual player careers, among other things, also points to changes in overall status/falling prestige.

Team Development

It allows the national teams to work on their squads, induct young talents, and plan for AFCON after a full two years. This recurring process ultimately provides continuity and enhancement in team development, thus improving the standard of competition.

Player Careers

From the perspective of individual players, though, AFCON's biennial schedule means a regularly occurring opportunity to demonstrate their quality and to compete for their countries in an important competition. That players can anticipate when their country will need them is a significant factor in allowing them to continue playing internationally.

Tournament Prestige

Staging AFCON every two years solidifies the status of a well-regarded tournament within African football. The event's vehicle gives it a regularity that makes football fans, players, and stakeholders desire to discuss the game as one of its primary international competitions.

Stakeholder Perspectives

National Football Associations

The AFCON is a cycle that defines where its nations and teams at both senior levels of regular involvement are based on the system of qualification recognized over four years. This ensures associations can plan and resource national team preparations and facilitates longer-term planning in football programs, regularly providing some certainty for its Member Associations.

Potential Changes

Although there has been discussion in the past over switching the timing of AFCON, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggesting it be played every four years, an idea that never came to fruition when council members again confirmed they would stick to a biennial cycle. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has discussed the need for a biennial AFCON to grow and strengthen African football. Any move to change the event's schedule would have needed significant considerations regarding player pathways, team planning, and long-term potential impact on African football.

The continent has the highest number of football associations recognized by FIFA, and since being introduced in 1957, the Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years to offer a regular and standardized platform for national teams to get together, demonstrate talent, and promote African Football. The historical, logistical, and competitive factors that haunt the biennial format have a greater bearing in terms of how African football's landscape is set to be shaped for some time while it gives further context as to why so many stakeholders believe that such regularity underpins everything worthwhile about AFCON.

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