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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed reports suggesting that the format of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be altered, reaffirming that the tournament will retain its 24-team structure.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe made the clarification during a press conference on Wednesday, where he confirmed that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 would feature 24 participating national teams.
Reiterating the position in a statement published on its official X account on Thursday, CAF described media reports claiming a change in the tournament format as false.
“At Wednesday’s press conference, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2027 will have 24 National Teams. Media reports suggesting otherwise is untrue. The AFCON 2027 will be played in June-July 2027 and the Qualifiers will start in September/October 2026,” CAF stated.
The continental football governing body stressed that no decision had been taken to expand or reduce the number of participating teams, putting an end to speculation over a possible format change.
CAF also confirmed that the tournament will be staged between June and July 2027, while the qualification campaign will commence in September/October 2026.
The 2027 edition of Africa’s flagship football competition will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first time the three East African nations will co-host the tournament.
With CAF’s clarification, participating nations can now focus on preparations for the qualifiers under the existing 24-team format as the countdown to AFCON 2027 gathers momentum.
