A proposal to expand the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON from 24 to 28 teams has been rejected, the Guardian UK has learned.
The plan had been put forward by the Confederation of African Football’s president, Patrice Motsepe, in February at a press conference in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Had it been approved, the expansion would have taken effect for the 2028 tournament.
Two Caf executive committee members, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the proposal had been voted down.
One committee member said: “We took a round-robin vote and the proposal was soundly rejected. It was a very bad idea. I do not know why Motsepe proposed it in the first place. There is absolutely no reason for it.”
A second committee member said Motsepe had put forward the proposal without first consulting the committee.
Luxolo September, Caf’s communications director, told the Guardian that the push to expand Afcon was only “one aspect” of a broader conversation about improving the tournament.
“For the last two years or so, Caf leadership has been discussing both in person and through written communication the implementation of the vision of making Caf competitions, in particular, the Caf Africa Cup of Nations, world-class,” September said.
“The debate and discussion is not limited to one aspect. The conversation on the Caf Africa Cup of Nations format is an ongoing discussion within Caf.”
The next edition of the tournament, scheduled for June-July 2027, will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
According to Caf, bids to host the 2028 tournament have already been submitted by Ethiopia, Morocco, and a joint bid from Botswana and South Africa.
“Caf recently launched the bidding process for hosting rights,” September said. “Caf leadership is united behind one vision: making African football amongst the best in the world.”
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