Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), recently announced plans to expand the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to 28 teams, sparking mixed reactions. Jean-Crépin Nyamsi, an observer of African football, views this proposal as a diversionary tactic to deflect from growing criticism of certain CAF decisions.
Nyamsi openly criticizes the decision to extend the AFCON cycle to four years, calling it an "irreparable mistake." He believes that the announcement to increase the number of participants in the AFCON to 28 nations starting in 2028 is a strategy by Motsepe to ease tensions and divert attention from deeper issues within the organization.
"Every time he faces difficulties at CAF with irritating decisions, he pulls out a proposal from his drawer to calm tensions, and everyone is happy," Nyamsi quips in a recent publication. He even anticipates a further expansion of the tournament, predicting that by 2028, AFCON could have up to 35 participants. Such an expansion, he suggests, would make the qualifying rounds obsolete, with qualification becoming almost automatic for the majority of African nations.
The decision to expand AFCON raises questions about the criteria and arguments used by the CAF Executive Committee. Nyamsi questions the logic behind this expansion, suggesting that it could dilute the quality of the competition and reduce the importance of qualifications. The future of AFCON, and Motsepe's vision for African football, therefore remain subjects of debate.
The announcement of the 28-team AFCON comes in a context where several voices are rising to criticize the management of CAF and the strategic choices of its president. It remains to be seen whether this proposal will calm the situation or further fuel the controversy.
