Tournament to be played every four years from 2028
Federation denies statutes breached in making decision
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has been accused of pushing through its controversial decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) every four years without properly consulting member federations.
Several presidents of African football federations have told the Guardian they were not informed of the decision until it was surprisingly announced by the Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, on 20 December, prompting claims that the confederation breached its statutes by failing to seek approval at a general assembly.
That is based on a contention that major changes to competition formats must be ratified by the 54 member associations, although that has been disputed by senior sources at Caf. Discussions were limited initially to a small group within its executive committee (ExCo), then to the 24 ExCo members before the switch from hosting the tournament every two years was confirmed on the eve of the edition in Morocco that ends on Sunday.
