Patrice Motsepe, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), announced that there are plans to increase the number of participating teams in the African Cup of Nations to 28. During a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Motsepe shared that the tournament will be held every four years moving forward, although he did not specify a timeline for this potential increase. The tournament currently features 24 teams, which has been the case since the last four editions after expanding from 16 teams.

The existing 24 teams are divided into six groups, each containing four teams. However, Motsepe did not clarify how the tournament would accommodate the additional four teams in the proposed future format. Currently, CAF consists of 54 national federations, meaning that an increase to 28 teams would represent more than half of its members, which raises questions about qualification processes and the logistics of expanding the tournament.

Additionally, Motsepe reiterated that the African Cup of Nations will continue to be held every four years after 2028—a decision that has been met with significant criticism since its initial announcement in December last year, considering the tournament has traditionally taken place every two years since 1968. The plans for expansion and changes to the tournament's frequency may provoke further discussions regarding its impact on African football as a whole.