Is holding Afcon every four years 'totally wrong' or a 'good call' for continental game?

The article discusses the recent decision by Confederation of African Football (CAF) to change the frequency of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) from every two years to every four years. The decision was announced during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco, and has sparked a mixed reaction among football fans and players.

Some have welcomed the move, citing that it will help reduce costs for participating teams and increase revenue for CAF. Others have expressed concerns about the potential impact on the tournament's format and the development of African football.

The article also mentions that the change will affect other international competitions in Africa, such as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. CHAN, which is a domestic-based tournament, will be discontinued, while the women's tournament will continue to be held every two years.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe has acknowledged that the decision may have been poorly communicated and is working to address concerns from fans and players. He believes that the four-year cycle will help increase revenue for CAF and improve the development of African football.

The article concludes by noting that while some changes are inevitable, the Afcon remains an important tournament in African football, and it is likely to continue to attract top teams and players.

OMG I was just thinking about this amazing new hiking trail that just opened up near my place and I'm totally itching to go explore it with my pup . I mean, four years is a looong time between Afcon tournaments, what if they miss out on some momentum? And have you seen the designs of those new stadium roofs in Morocco? Mind-blowing, right? But for real though, I do hope this change brings in more cash for CAF so they can invest in youth development programs. That would be awesome .

I mean, 4 years is a pretty standard cycle for most sports tournaments , so I'm not sure why they're making such a big deal about it... but hey, if it saves the teams some cash , I guess it's a win-win? The whole thing just seems like a bit of a mess to me - CHAN is getting axed and we all know how much those domestic tournaments are important for development . And what really gets my goat is that they're making these changes without even consulting the fans . I'm sure Patrice Motsepe is just trying to do what's best for CAF, but it'd be nice if he could actually communicate his plans effectively for once . Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out...

idk why they wanna change it to every 4 yrs its gonna suck for teams thats already strugglin financially. i mean whats wrong with just keepin it like it is? its been workin fine 2 yrs seems plenty long enough 4 any tournament lol dont think about the benjamins motsepe's tryna pull over everyone's eyes

I'm not sure about this new Afcon schedule ... I mean, on one hand, a four-year cycle does make sense from a financial standpoint - less costs for teams, more revenue for CAF ... but at what cost? CHAN is being axed, which is super disappointing to all the smaller nations that need this tournament to grow . And what about the impact on development? If top teams are only competing every four years, won't they get too good and leave everyone else in the dust? ... also, how's the women's Afcon going to thrive with a two-year cycle? I just wish CAF would've communicated this better ... still, gotta respect Patrice Motsepe's willingness to make changes .

I'm not sure about this change ... I think it's a bit weird that CHAN gets axed but the women's tournament stays on . It feels like CAF is prioritizing revenue over development . Don't get me wrong, more money for football can be good, but what about the smaller teams and leagues? They're gonna struggle to compete with the bigger countries . And what's up with the four-year cycle? It's so long now... I remember when Afcon was always in Feb/March . This new schedule might mess with our schedules and travel plans . Fingers crossed Patrice Motsepe gets a grip on this

ugh this news is so frustrating lol can u even imagine how much more stressful it must be for african teams having to wait 4 yrs b/w competitions?? i feel like they r already disadvantaged enough what's gonna make them wanna play anyways

I mean come on guys, a 4-year cycle makes total sense! I've been saying this for ages . It's not like the current system was perfect or anything, but at least now they're making some changes to help out smaller countries and increase revenue for CAF. And yeah, it's a shame CHAN is getting axed, but that domestic-based tournament was always kinda niche . I get why Patrice Motsepe wants to boost the Afcon's profile, it's still one of the biggest tournaments in Africa and should be respected . And let's be real, if they can pull off a successful 4-year cycle, who knows maybe we'll see more top teams from Africa dominating international competitions

I mean I get why they wanna change it but like 4 years feels kinda long for a cup comp. I'm good with CHAN being axed tho, it's always been a bit of a weird cousin to the rest of Afcon events . But the women's tournament should stay every 2 years, that's still decent. I just hope they don't mess up the format too much, I mean we all love Afcon but it's not like anyone wants to see some random team win after 4 years and then never get to compete again . Still, CAF's got this, Motsepe seems a decent dude .

Man, I remember when Afcon was still every two years... it was so much better! Now they're changing it to four years? I don't know, mate... I'm worried about the CHAN tournament getting canned . That's one of the few tournaments that shows some love to smaller teams and domestic leagues. But hey, I get it, more revenue for CAF is always a good thing . Patrice Motsepe seems like he's trying to do what's best for African football, even if his communication skills need a bit of work . Still, Afcon will always be the big one in Africa, and we'll just have to adapt... I hope!

I'm soooo confused about this new change ... like I get why they wanna make more money and all, but can't we just keep it every two years?! I was so looking forward to my team's next Afcon tournament and now I'm not even sure if it's happening . And CHAN is out too? That was one of my favorite tournaments to watch! My friend's cousin plays for a team that's like super big in Africa and he was talking about how much this change affects them... poor guy, his life is so crazy . But hey, I guess it's all good if CAF gets more cash ... just don't expect me to get all excited about it again anytime soon

I don't trust this decision at all. They're just trying to cut costs and make more cash for CAF, but what about the teams that rely on the Afcon for funding? And what's with CHAN getting axed like that? It was a great platform for smaller countries to compete. Now it's just gonna be another fancy tournament that only big teams will participate in . And Patrice Motsepe is just trying to spin this and make us think everything is fine, but I'm not buying it . The real winners here are CAF and the sponsors, not African football .

just saw that CHAN is getting the axe , a domestic-based tournament that brought so much excitement to the continent, gonna miss that . also, Patrice Motsepe's explanation for this change sounds kinda vague . CAF wants more revenue, but how is reducing Afcon frequency really gonna help? just not convinced about this decision at all .

just think about it... less afcon's means more time for other tournaments... but will it really help african teams prepare? 4 years is a long time, and teams need to be ready for that... or should i say, need to start preparing now

Just heard about this change ... think it's a bit weird, changing from every 2 yrs to every 4 yrs... might hurt the tournament's vibe . but hey, if it means more revenue for CAF, I'm all for it . CHAN being discontinued tho is a bummer . hope they find a way to make the women's tourney as sweet as the men's . Motsepe's gotta step up his comms game though ... poorly communicated decision can lead to a lot of unrest . still, Afcon will be fine , it's one of the biggest deals in Africa sports after all

I'm low-key thinking this new 4-year Afcon cycle might not be a total disaster lol I mean, it's all about finding ways to make the tournament more financially sustainable, right? My bf played for a team that went bankrupt after last year's Afcon, and let me tell you, it was a struggle... So if this new cycle means teams won't have to break the bank every two years, I'm here for it . But at the same time, I get why some fans are worried about the impact on the tournament's format... my friend played in CHAN last year and said it was super different from Afcon, so that's a valid concern .

I'm not sure about this change, ... I mean, I get where they're coming from with reducing costs and increasing revenue for CAF, but at the same time, CHAN was a great platform for smaller teams to compete against each other on home soil . Discontinuing it might be a loss for African football in terms of developing domestic talent.

On the other hand, Patrice Motsepe's point about the four-year cycle helping with revenue and development is a good one . It'll be interesting to see how this change affects the women's tournament – will it help bring more attention and investment into women's football? The Afcon still has a reputation for being one of the biggest events in African football, so I'm not too worried about the tournament's prestige just yet . But overall, I think there needs to be some fine-tuning to make sure this change doesn't negatively impact the sport as a whole .

come on caf u gotta think bout da teams dat rely on afcon4 income i get dat reducing costs is key but cant we do both? CHAN 4eva dis season tho u guys really thought u cud just drop it patrice motsepe needs 2 step up his comms game i hope da revenue increase happens but its not just bout dat afcon is da heart of african football

omg what's going on with afcon ? i mean its great that caf is trying to reduce costs and boost revenue but changing the frequency of the tournament every four years feels like a big change for africa cup fans . idk if it'll make a huge difference in terms of development for african football, we need more grassroots programs and funding for teams rather than just increasing revenue from tv rights and sponsorships . and whats up with chan being discontinued? that was such an important tournament for smaller african nations . caf president patrice motsepe needs to do some more listening sessions and address fan concerns ...

I think this decision by CAF is a bit odd. I mean, reducing the frequency from every two years to four years might save them some cash, but it's also gonna affect the quality of the competition and the excitement for fans. What if all the good African teams have a year off? Who knows what kinda talent won't even make it to the next tournament anymore? And can you imagine how boring CHAN is without the national teams competing against each other every year? They're just gonna have to find ways to make that domestic-based tournament interesting, or just scrap it altogether. It's a bummer for football fans who love watching their favorite teams battle it out on the pitch.