Why has Caf abandoned plans to hold Afcon every four years?

The 2027 Afcon is scheduled to be held in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July next year.

Yet, on a visit to East Africa in September, Motsepe called for a “heightened sense of urgency” in order to make sure stadiums and supporting infrastructure are ready on time.

The next Afcon will be held just one year later in 2028 – a decision Caf made when planning for the switch to a four-year cycle and which it as has decided to stick with.

An announcement on where and exactly when the finals will be held is yet to be made.

Subsequent tournaments will be held in 2031 and 2033 to avoid clashes with the World Cup.

The proposed kick-off date for the Africa Nations League, meanwhile, is September 2029.

Motsepe’s latest statement suggests the new competition will also be held every two years – rather than annually as he initially announced last December – but that begs the question of how space will be found for the fixtures to be played in an Afcon year from 2031 onwards.

While debate continues around the game’s congested calendar, Caf’s U-turn on scheduling has at least protected the tradition of Africa’s biggest sporting showcase.

It also exposes, however, the challenge of finding a workable financial model which benefits African football as well as the demands of the global game.