The Confederation of African Football Executive Committee meeting held on Saturday in Rabat, Morocco delivered some of the most far-reaching decisions in the modern history of the game on the continent. Coming just a day before the kickoff of the Africa Cup of Nations, the meeting set a powerful tone for the tournament and for the long-term future of African football.
Addressing the media after the meeting, CAF President Patrice Motsepe outlined a series of resolutions that signal a decisive shift toward increased investment, structural reform and global competitiveness. One of the headline decisions was the increase in prize money for CAF competitions, led by a significant boost for the Africa Cup of Nations. The AFCON winners will now receive $10 million, up from the previous $7 million.
Motsepe made it clear that this was only the beginning of a broader financial rethink. “We’ve also taken decisions to significantly increase the Champions League and the Confederation Cup, but we’re not going to announce them today,” he said.
He added, “So we will announce the significant increase in the prize money of the Champions League that we took today and the significant increase in the prize money of the Confederation Cup that we also took today. We’ll announce them after January 18.”
Beyond prize money, Motsepe described what he termed the most important decision in the history of African football, referring to the restructuring and repositioning of CAF competitions. He revealed that the decision had already received strong backing from several federation presidents across the continent, including those from Egypt and Sudan, underlining the level of consensus behind the reforms.
A central pillar of the new direction is a $1 billion development plan spread over 8 years. Under this framework, every CAF member association will receive $1 million, a sharp increase from the previous $200,000 allocation. Motsepe stressed that a significant portion of this funding will be directed toward youth development and strengthening club football so that African teams can compete more effectively at the global level.
Another major announcement was the introduction of a new continental competition, the African Nations League. The competition will be played annually during FIFA international windows and is designed to ensure that Africa hosts its best players every year, including those based in Europe and other parts of the world.
Explaining the vision behind the new tournament, Motsepe said, “The African Nations League will result in every year, what is new is that every year in Africa, there’s going to be a competition every year where the best African players who play in Europe and worldwide will be with us on the continent. It will significantly improve and increase the quality of our competitions.”
The competition is expected to run between September and October, with finals taking place in November. Africa will be divided into four zones: Northern Africa with 6 nations, and Eastern, Western, and Southern and Central Africa with 16 nations each. Overall, 20 nations will participate in the African Nations League.
Motsepe emphasized the commercial potential of the new competition, noting that it will be run in partnership with FIFA. “What it means is there will be more commercial attraction, more money will go into this competition, more sponsors, more partners, and this competition will be in partnership with FIFA,” he explained. He added that FIFA’s involvement helps attract “the biggest companies from all over the world” to invest in African football.
Looking ahead, Motsepe revealed that after the 2028 edition, the Africa Cup of Nations will move to a 4-year cycle. The annual African Nations League will effectively fill the gap, ensuring that top-level continental competition remains a yearly fixture. “You’ll have the equivalent of an AFCON every year,” he said. “You’ll have the best African players in the world participating and playing in African football at the highest level of the continent every year.”
The CAF President also touched on the African Football League, previously known as the Super League, describing its pilot edition as “enormously successful.” He confirmed that CAF plans to continue and expand the competition, with further announcements expected, as part of efforts to improve financial competitiveness and retain top African talent on the continent.
In addition, Motsepe reaffirmed CAF’s strong commitment to women’s football, indicating that major announcements are forthcoming. He also highlighted the importance of developing world-class female referees, stressing that continued investment will be made to ensure African officials remain competitive at the highest levels.
Motsepe concluded by expressing gratitude to Morocco for its hospitality and its growing contribution to football development across Africa. He praised the country’s passion for the game and noted the presence of students from across the continent as a reflection of football’s unifying power.
