Is the CAF a pawn in the FIFA-UEFA power struggle? “The AFCON deserves better”

The CAF has reversed its December 2025 decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, keeping the tournament on a biennial schedule. Speaking on Canal+ Sport Afrique, Senegalese journalist Mansour Loum criticized decisions announced without prior approval from the CAF Executive Committee and the shifting economic arguments used to justify the change. He argued that the CAF has become a “pawn” in the FIFA-UEFA power struggle: summer editions could benefit European clubs, while a return to January or February could reignite tensions with them.