African football chiefs accused of not consulting fully over controversial Afcon change

"Several presidents of African football federations have told the Guardian they were not informed of the decision until it was surprisingly announced by the Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, on 20 December, prompting claims that the confederation breached its statutes by failing to seek approval at a general assembly. That is based on a contention that major changes to competition formats must be ratified by the 54 member associations, although that has been disputed by senior sources at Caf."

"Discussions were limited initially to a small group within its executive committee (ExCo), then to the 24 ExCo members before the switch from hosting the tournament every two years was confirmed on the eve of the edition in Morocco that ends on Sunday. The decision was already made, said one federation president who did not want to be named. They said it would be discussed in Morocco, but in the end there was no discussion."

"We're killing ourselves. If there had been a general assembly and all the presidents were allowed to vote, it would never have passed. The Guardian understands the move to to a four-year cycle was first raised during a meeting involving some of Caf's ExCo about a month before Motsepe's announcement, although a spokesperson for Caf has denied any such meeting took place."

Caf announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will move from a two-year cycle to a four-year cycle starting in 2028. Several federation presidents reported they were not informed until the December 20 announcement and contend the confederation breached its statutes by failing to seek general-assembly ratification for major competition-format changes. Initial discussions were restricted to a small executive committee group and then to the 24 ExCo members, with key vice-presidents and presidents reportedly backing the switch. Some federation leaders say a full general assembly vote would have prevented approval. Caf has disputed claims about meetings and consultation.

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