Gonzalo
The Africa Cup of Nations is going back to what African fans know best: a tournament every two years.
On 29 October, CAF's Executive Committee voted unanimously to return AFCON to a two-year cycle. Four days later, CAF updated the tender for the commercial rights to future editions, and separately confirmed who will put AFCON 2027 on free-to-air TV across sub-Saharan Africa.
Put together, the two announcements tell us a lot about what the next few years of African football will look like, and how Nigerians will watch it.
What CAF decided
- AFCON returns to a two-year cycle. The Executive Committee made the call on 29 October 2026.
- Commercial rights for 2028, 2031 and 2033 are up for grabs. CAF issued an amended tender on 2 November covering the finals and qualifiers for those three editions. Bids close on 16 November 2026.
- AFCON 2027 has its free-to-air partners. Media Experts Limited and UK-based Media Business Solutions hold exclusive free-to-air rights across sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria included. Canal+ holds the pay-TV rights.
AFCON 2027 will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
Why CAF wants more AFCON, not less
Money and attention. CAF says the 2025 edition in Morocco reached more than 3 billion TV viewers, and around 6 billion views once digital platforms are counted. The 2023 edition in Côte d'Ivoire drew close to 2 billion.
Those are numbers sponsors and broadcasters pay for. A tournament every two years gives CAF more rights to sell, more qualifiers to package, and a steadier income for its member associations, including the NFF.
What it means for Nigerian fans
1. You will be able to watch on free TV. The free-to-air deal covers Nigeria, alongside Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, DR Congo, Angola, Ethiopia and the host nations. That matters here. A GeoPoll survey cited by CAF found that 64% of Nigerians prefer free-to-air TV for live football. The specific Nigerian stations have not been named yet; CAF says individual broadcast partners will be announced in the coming months.
2. More Super Eagles tournament football. A two-year cycle means more qualifiers, more competitive fixtures and more chances to see the next generation of Nigerian players on the big stage. After a poor campaign, the team gets another shot much sooner.
3. More than just the senior AFCON. The same broadcast deal also covers the 2026 Futsal AFCON and Beach Soccer AFCON, and the 2027 U-20 and U-17 AFCON. If you follow the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets, there should be more of their games on free TV.
4. Pressure on European clubs, again. A more frequent AFCON brings back the old fight with European clubs over releasing players in the middle of their seasons. Expect that debate to return, especially around Nigerian players in the Premier League and other top leagues.
The business angle
The 2028, 2031 and 2033 commercial tender is one to watch. Whoever wins those rights will shape how AFCON is sponsored, packaged and shown for most of the next decade. The current announcements focus on TV, and say little about streaming and mobile rights. For a continent where most young fans follow football on their phones, that is the gap to watch when the winning bids are announced.
What to watch next
- 16 November 2026: bids close for the 2028, 2031 and 2033 commercial rights.
- Coming months: CAF names the Nigerian free-to-air broadcaster for AFCON 2027.
- 19 June 2027: AFCON 2027 kicks off in East Africa.
We will keep tracking the AFCON 2027 build-up, broadcast news and the Super Eagles' road to East Africa here on sports445.