The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has walked back a major announcement made by its president, Patrice Motsepe. Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday July 22, Motsepe said the number of teams competing at the Africa Cup of Nations would increase from 24 to 28 beginning with the next edition, scheduled for next summer in East Africa.
On Thursday, however, CAF issued a brief statement dismissing “information reported by certain media outlets,” despite the fact that the announcement had been made by its own president.
As a result, the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will still feature 24 teams. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027, across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The expansion to 28 teams will instead come into effect for the following edition in 2028, with the host nation yet to be determined.
CAF also confirmed that qualifying for the 2027 Pamoja edition will run from Sept. 21, 2026, to March 30, 2027. Morocco have been drawn in Group A alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.
Increasing the number of participating teams represents another significant change following the competition calendar reform announced by Motsepe ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Beginning in 2028, the tournament will be held every four years instead of every two, a major shift in the 69-year history of Africa’s flagship football competition. The proposed reform has already drawn mixed reactions from observers.
