Plan to expand Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams rejected
Quick summary
The proposal to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 participating teams has been rejected by the relevant decision-makers.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceExecutive committee member says it was ‘very bad idea’
Caf says its aim is to make tournament world class
A plan to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams has been rejected, the Guardian has learned.
The proposal had been made by the Confederation of African Football’s president, Patrice Motsepe, in February at a press conference in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. Had had it been agreed would have been put in place for the 2028 tournament.
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What happened
A plan to grow the Africa Cup of Nations tournament from its current 24-team format to 28 teams has been turned down. The expansion would have allowed more African national teams to participate in the continental championship. The rejection means AFCON will continue with its existing 24-team structure for the foreseeable future. The decision reflects ongoing debate about tournament size, scheduling, and competitive balance within African football governance.
Chance analysis
The rejection preserves the current 24-team AFCON format, meaning qualification pathways, tournament logistics, and competitive dynamics remain unchanged. This avoids potential fixture congestion concerns and maintains the prestige of qualification. For prediction systems and qualification modeling, no structural changes need to be incorporated. The story is more relevant to African football governance and long-term tournament planning than to immediate match outcomes.
AFCON retains its 24-team format, leaving qualification pathways, scheduling, and competitive balance unchanged.
No change to AFCON structure — qualification models and tournament projections remain based on the existing 24-team format.