The Africa Cup of Nations will be held every four years starting in 2028

Meanwhile, CAF has increased the prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations winners from $7 million (£5.2 million) to $10 million (£7.5 million).

The surprise announcement about the future of the Africa Cup of Nations was made by Motsepe after the CAF Executive Committee met in Morocco ahead of the start of the 2025 finals in Rabat on Sunday.

Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations every two years has long caused problems in the football calendar, with the vast majority of recent tournaments taking place in the middle of the European club season.

CAF made the decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations from June to July from 2019 onwards and began its new plan in Egypt that year.

But the Covid-19 pandemic and weather conditions in the host nations in West Africa mean that the 2021 and 2023 editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively will be held in January and February instead.

The expanded 32-team Club World Cup was held in June and July this year, forcing CAF to choose mid-season dates again.

As a result, this year’s Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco during Christmas and New Year for the first time, with the final match taking place on January 18.

Dates for the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027 have yet to be announced, and another African Nations Championship will quickly follow in 2028 – with the host of that edition yet to be determined.

After that, the continent’s biggest tournament will become a quadrennial tournament, held in the same year as the European Championship.

Motsepe said the decision was taken in coordination with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Matthias Grafstrom.