Aïssa Mandi has chosen her side. On the eve of the match against Burkina Faso, the Algerian defender said he was in favor of the African Cup of Nations organized every four years from 2028. Fennec is convinced that this reform can strengthen the readability, prestige and competitiveness of African football.
The announcement continues to divide African football. The CAN every two years is part of the DNA of African football, but it is also regularly singled out for its repetitiveness and its impact on calendars. Present at a press conference this Sunday, Aïssa Mandi did not mask his enthusiasm at the new direction taken by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with a competition every four years. The central defender of Algeria, with his international experience, delivered a lucid and confident analysis.
“Every four years, I think it’s a good thing. It’s true that every two years it’s a bit repetitive, we have the impression of seeing the CAN all the time.” An observation shared by some of the players playing in Europe, often faced with busy seasons and repeated absences from the club. For Mandi, the challenge is not to devalue the CAN, but on the contrary to restore rarity to it, and therefore prestige.
Beyond the rhythm, the Algerian defender places this reform in a global logic. “Every four years, it’s like all the other continental competitions in the world. In South America I think it’s every four years too, the European Championship is every four years. I think it’s something rather logical and that it’s good for African football.” An alignment with international standards which would, according to him, strengthen the readability and attractiveness of the continent’s premier competition.
The League of African Nations to fill the absence of the CAN
Aware of the competitive void that a spaced-out CAN could leave, CAF President Patrice Motsepe revealed the outlines of an unprecedented project: the African Nations League, planned from 2029. “After the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029, we will have the first African Nations League… with more prize money, more resources, more competition,” he explained. Organized each year during the FIFA windows, based on the UEFA Nations League model, this competition will benefit from the active support of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“There will be the best African players from across the continent,” insisted Motsepe. “There will be 54 teams participating in different regions.” Africa will be divided into four zones, with a final in November between the regional champions, in a location yet to be defined. An ambitious, almost revolutionary overhaul, which profoundly redraws the landscape of African football and which Aïssa Mandi already seems ready to adhere to.
