African football is set for a major shake-up with the introduction of the African Nations League, a new annual competition scheduled to begin in 2029.
The the African Nations League is expected to become a central feature of the continent’s football calendar and a fresh commercial pillar for the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The announcement was made by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who described the competition as a landmark step designed to bring Africa’s best players home every year and maintain a consistent flow of high-profile matches across the continent.
From 2029, all 54 CAF member associations will take part in the African Nations League. The teams will be divided into four geographical zones, with six nations in the Northern zone and 16 nations each in the Eastern, Western, and Central and Southern zones.
Matches will be staged annually in September and October, before the champions from each zone advance to a final series in November to determine the overall continental winner.
Motsepe said the tournament would effectively deliver the excitement of a major championship every year. “The African Nations League will be the equivalent of an AFCON every year,” he said. The competition will be organised in partnership with FIFA, a move CAF believes will help attract elite sponsors and elevate the global profile of African international football.
“Every year in Africa, the best African players who play in Europe will be with us on the continent,” Motsepe added. “Every year we will have a competition with 54 African nations with all the best players coming here to play.
“We are going to have a world-class competition every year.”
9news Nigeria reports that the creation of the African Nations League is closely linked to CAF’s decision to overhaul the scheduling of its flagship tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
AFCON will move from its long-standing two-year cycle to a four-year format starting from 2028, aligning it with other major continental championships around the world.
The change was confirmed in Morocco ahead of the opening match of the 35th edition of AFCON, where hosts Morocco were set to face Comoros.
With AFCON becoming less frequent, CAF sees the African Nations League as the solution to keeping international football visible, competitive and commercially attractive every year.
