Confederation of African Football rejects plan to expand Africa Cup of Nations to 28 teams
CAF's internal pushback on tournament expansion highlights governance tensions, while the organization remains one of the few major football bodies without crypto sponsorship ties
The Confederation of African Football has walked back a proposal to expand the Africa Cup of Nations from 24 to 28 teams, after internal resistance from its own executive committee torpedoed the idea before it could gain traction.
A member of the executive committee called the expansion a “very bad idea,” a remarkably blunt assessment given that the plan originated from CAF President Patrice Motsepe himself just months earlier in March 2026.
What happened and why it matters
CAF’s leadership apparently decided that bigger isn’t always better. The organization says its priority is making the tournament “world class,” which, in practice, means improving quality rather than diluting it with four additional teams.
Africa has 54 FIFA-affiliated nations. At 24 teams, nearly half the continent already qualifies. Bumping that to 28 would mean more than half of all African nations would participate, raising legitimate questions about competitive standards.
The rejection comes alongside another significant structural change: AFCON will shift to a quadrennial cycle after 2028. That means the tournament, traditionally held every two years, will move to a once-every-four-years format.
The next AFCON in 2027 will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, marking a notable three-nation hosting arrangement for the competition.
The commercial landscape CAF is navigating
CAF’s sponsorship portfolio tells an interesting story about where African football sits in the global sports economy. TotalEnergies holds the title sponsorship through at least 2028. Konami serves as the gaming sponsor for both the 2025 and 2027 editions.
Noticeably absent from the roster: any crypto or blockchain-related sponsorship deals. No fan tokens are tied to AFCON. No blockchain ticketing partnerships have been announced. No crypto exchange has secured naming rights or jersey deals with CAF.
Countries like Kenya, one of the 2027 hosts, have been at the forefront of mobile payment adoption. The infrastructure for digital asset engagement exists. The sponsorship deals simply haven’t materialized.