The Africa Cup of Nations will grow from 24 to 28 teams starting in 2027, CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced on Wednesday.
He confirmed the change to reporters in Johannesburg, saying it was designed to give more African countries a chance to play in the continent’s top football tournament.
The 2027 tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It will be the first AFCON held in East Africa.
Under the new format, the 28 teams will be split into seven groups of four.
The top two teams in each group will move straight to the knockout stage. The two best third-placed teams from across all groups will fill the remaining Round of 16 spots.
This is the second time CAF has expanded the tournament. It last did so in 2019, when the field grew from 16 to 24 teams for the Egypt edition.
CAF says the bigger tournament will help African football grow. More teams means more nations get top-level experience, and it should also make the competition more exciting and commercially attractive.
Qualifying matches for AFCON 2027 are due to begin later this year.