CAF president Patrice Motsepe is pushing to accelerate plans for an African Nations League, with an “emergency and exceptional” committee created to determine how the proposed competition could be introduced.
The project was originally expected to begin in 2029, but Motsepe has reportedly held a series of meetings in recent days as the Confederation of African Football considers a major overhaul of its competition calendar.
According to WinWin, the South African has asked CAF’s Executive Committee to speed up work on the tournament. Three priorities have been identified: agreeing the competition’s format, setting a firm launch timetable and finding a way to incorporate it permanently into the continental calendar.
The new committee will be responsible for developing the final structure of the African Nations League. Several members of the Executive Committee have already submitted proposals, while Samuel Eto’o is also understood to have offered ideas for consideration.
The central challenge is finding space for the competition in an increasingly crowded schedule.
CAF has recently decided that the Africa Cup of Nations should eventually be staged less frequently. That move could create an opening for the African Nations League to take place between editions of the continent’s flagship men’s tournament.
However, the calendar currently being considered remains particularly congested in 2027 and 2028, with two Africa Cup of Nations competitions scheduled in successive years.
Motsepe is therefore examining several possible scenarios before deciding when the new tournament could begin. The final date will depend on how CAF balances the African Nations League with its existing competitions.
The push forms part of a wider restructuring of African football. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July.
CAF has also set out a number of youth, futsal and beach soccer competitions for 2026 and 2027, while the governing body is studying the possible creation of an Africa Women’s Under-17 Cup of Nations.
Despite those wider plans, the African Nations League now appears to be one of Motsepe’s main priorities. The competition’s detailed format has yet to be determined, and its place in the calendar remains unresolved.
Motsepe’s latest intervention suggests CAF is no longer treating the proposal as a distant idea for discussion. The focus has shifted towards deciding how, and how soon, it can be put into operation.
The report was written by Louis Mukoma Fargues.
