AFCON’S BIENNIAL SWITCH COST AFRICAN GOVERNING BODY DEAL WORTH MORE THAN $1BN

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scrapped a lucrative eight‑year deal worth at least $1 billion in secured income after deciding to change the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial to a four‑yearly tournament, according to Sport | The Guardian. The decision was announced on 5 July 2025, just before the delayed Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

CAF had not secured a long‑term financial agreement since 2019. During an executive committee meeting in Rabat, CAF president Patrice Motsepe told the Guardian that a winning bid would be announced “in due course” after an extended discussion of the bidding process. The abandoned deal represented a significant revenue source that CAF opted to forgo in favour of the new scheduling format.

The switch to a four‑year cycle alters the tournament’s commercial dynamics, affecting sponsorship and broadcast contracts that had been built around a biennial schedule.

• CAF abandoned a $1 bn secured‑income deal after moving AFCON to a four‑year cycle.
• The last long‑term financial agreement was in 2019, leaving CAF without such deals for several years.
• CAF president Patrice Motsepe said a decision on the bidding process would be made “in due course” on 5 July 2025.

Read the original source for full detail available at Sport | The Guardian src