October 30, 2026
The decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to maintain the African Cup of Nations every two years, instead of converting it to a version every four years, gives a renewed opportunity to a number of the continent’s most prominent stars to pursue the continental dream.
A report by the British “Sports Bible” website explained that this retreat from the plan to amend the system starting in 2028 is in the interest of prominent names led by Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Moroccan Ashraf Hakimi, and Nigerian Ademola Lookman.
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah (34 years old) is at the forefront of beneficiaries. Given that the African Cup of Nations title is the most prominent achievement absent from his international career, the continuation of the current tournament pace gives him an additional opportunity to compete in the 2031 edition when he turns thirty-nine years old.
In turn, the decision allows Nigerian Ademola Lookman (29 years old) to participate in the 2031 and 2033 editions, when he will be 33 and 35 years old, respectively, in his tireless endeavor to lead his country to the podium.
In the same context, Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (27 years old) benefits from the continuation of the current system, so that he will have double opportunities to compete strongly with the “Atlas Lions”, especially in the 2031 and 2033 versions, when he turns thirty-second and thirty-four years old, respectively.
This decision reshapes the hopes of the continent’s stars to engrave their names in the African crowning record, after the proposed amendments to hold the tournament every four years would inevitably reduce the opportunities available in their international football careers.
