In the meantime, Caf has elevated the prize cash for the winners of Afcon from $7m to $10m.

The shock announcement about the way forward for Afcon was made by Motsepe following a gathering of Caf’s govt committee in Morocco forward of the beginning of the 2025 finals in Rabat on Sunday.

The biennial internet hosting of Afcon has lengthy brought on points with the soccer calendar – with the overwhelming majority of latest tournaments held halfway by way of the European membership season.

Caf had made a decision for Afcon to be held in a June-July slot from 2019 onwards and started its new plan in Egypt that yr.

However the Covid-19 pandemic and climate circumstances in host nations in West Africa meant the 2021 and 2023 editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively had been staged in January and February as an alternative.

This yr’s Afcon in Morocco will happen over Christmas and the New 12 months for the primary time, with the ultimate on 18 January.

The dates for the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027 are but to be introduced, and that shall be swiftly adopted by one other Afcon in 2028 – with the hosts of that version but to be determined.

After that, the continent’s largest event will develop into a quadrennial event happening in the identical yr because the European Championships.

Motsepe stated the choice had been made together with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the world governing physique’s normal secretary Mattias Grafstrom.