CAF Executive Committee Rejects President Motsepe’s Bold Proposal to Expand AFCON to 28 Teams

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the crown jewel of African football, known for its intense drama, unpredictable giant-killings, and elite quality. However, a major behind-the-scenes political battle just concluded at the highest levels of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the tournament's future footprint.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe recently championed a bold vision to expand the tournament from 24 to 28 teams starting with the 2028 edition. But in a dramatic turn of events, the CAF Executive Committee has officially voted down and dismissed the expansion project. AFCON will remain a 24-team tournament for the foreseeable future.

Why Did CAF President Motsepe Propose the Expansion?

Patrice Motsepe first publicly floated the idea of a 28-team AFCON during a press conference in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. His logic was rooted in capitalizing on the massive, rapid growth of the African game:

Riding the Wave of Global Success: Following historic showings on the world stage—including Africa seeing 9 of its 10 representative nations qualify for the knockout rounds of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup—Motsepe believed the continent's depth could easily support a larger tournament.

Commercial Growth & Global Appeal: More teams mean more matches, more broadcast markets, and broader commercial appeal to lucrative global sponsors.

Inclusivity: Expanding the grid would allow emerging football nations a seat at Africa’s top table, building on the success of the 2019 expansion from 16 to 24 teams.

Why Did the Executive Committee Reject It?

Despite the president's backing, the proposal faced an uphill battle and was ultimately crushed in a round-robin vote by the CAF Executive Committee. According to reports leaked by committee members, the proposal was "soundly rejected" for several key reasons:

"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."

1. Lack of Internal Consultation

A major friction point was procedural. Committee members revealed that Motsepe introduced the 28-team vision to the public and media before consulting his own executive committee, causing internal pushback over the organization's decision-making process.

2. Safeguarding Competition Quality

The consensus among African football leaders is that the current 24-team format strikes the perfect balance. Diluting the field to 28 teams was deemed "unnecessary and untimely," with concerns that it would lower the overall competitive standard of the group stages.

3. Logistical and Organizational Strain

Hosting a 24-team tournament already requires massive infrastructural investment in stadiums, hotels, and transport. Pushing that number to 28 would severely limit the number of African nations capable of solo-hosting the tournament, forcing complex co-hosting setups.

What’s Next for AFCON?

For now, the status quo wins. The existing format—consisting of six groups of four teams leading into a round-of-16 knockout phase—is locked in.

Tournament	Dates	Host Destination	Format Size
AFCON 2027	June–July 2027	Kenya, Uganda, & Tanzania (Joint Host)	24 Teams
AFCON 2028	TBD	Bids under review (Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa/Botswana)	24 Teams

While the 28-team expansion is dead in the water, CAF Communications Director Luxolo September emphasized that the conversation surrounding how to keep modernizing and upgrading AFCON into a world-class spectacle is far from over.