Africa Cup of Nations: Towards a 28-team format? | OneFootball

Project for an Africa Cup of Nations with 28 participating countries

Africa Cup of Nations: Towards a 28-team format?

It is reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering holding the Africa Cup of Nations with 28 teams instead of the current 24.

Following the announcement of a switch from a biennial to a quadrennial format, the Africa Cup of Nations could be in for another major transformation. Speaking from Dar es Salaam this Friday, the CAF president revealed the federation's intention to expand the finals to include 28 countries. According to Patrice Motsepe, this expansion would allow more national teams to compete in the tournament and raise the overall standard of African football.

“We want to expand the tournament to 28 countries and, as previously mentioned, organize it every four years. This will give more teams the chance to compete at the highest level, showcase their talents, and contribute to the growth of African football.” said Patrice Motsepe.

Since 1968, the tournament featured eight teams, before increasing to 16 from 1997 to 2017. Since the 2019 edition in Egypt, the competition has brought together the top 24 national teams from across Africa.