The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will expand from 24 to 28 participating teams beginning with the 2027 tournament, Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe has announced.
Speaking to the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Motsepe confirmed that the decision forms part of CAF’s efforts to increase participation and provide more opportunities for African nations to compete on the continent’s biggest football stage.
The expanded format will see 28 teams divided into seven groups of four during the group phase of the competition.
Under the new structure, the top two teams from each group will automatically progress to the Round of 16, while the remaining two spots will be awarded to the two best third-placed teams across the seven groups.
The change represents another major adjustment to the AFCON format, which was expanded from 16 to 24 teams ahead of the 2019 edition in Egypt.
CAF believes the increase in the number of participating nations will enhance competitiveness, offer more countries the chance to showcase their talent, and further strengthen the growth of football across Africa.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the first time the prestigious tournament will be staged in East Africa.
The announcement comes as CAF continues to review and modernise its competitions, with the continental football governing body also working on improving commercial value, infrastructure and the overall experience of its flagship national team competition.
Meanwhile, the qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON are slated for later this year.
