The Super Eagles coach says more frequent tournaments would help African teams close the gap with their international rivals.
Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle has thrown his weight behind appeals for AFCON to revert to a biennial rhythm. Speaking to SABC Sport at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde, the Franco-Malian, who coached Mali at the 2023 AFCON before taking charge of Nigeria at the 2025 edition, argued that the format would help African teams keep improving.
Chelle explained why a shorter gap matters to him:
"For me, it's perfect because when you want to improve, having one tournament every four years is difficult. So, having a tournament every two years now is perfect, so we can continue to improve."
Chelle said that with two big tournaments, African nations would be playing more often, while the other nations played one. He said: "We can grow together; we will play two big tournaments instead of the other nations playing one tournament."
Chelle also said Africa's sides need big international games to improve before the World Cup, and that a biennial tournament would give them those chances.
He pointed to the economy as well. Chelle said the tournament brings something to the country that hosts it: "If you speak of life and the economy in Africa, it brings something to the country who organises the tournament." He added that he liked the idea. Hosting more often could attract tourists, boost business and raise revenue for host nations.
The remarks came during a wider discussion at the conference about how Africa's 10 representatives performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Chelle said the continent needed to turn those performances into a long-term plan to produce a World Cup-winning side, and he called for a recognisable African approach to the game.
The African football governing body, CAF, had unveiled intentions to shift the tournament to a four-year rhythm starting after the 2028 edition. At the conference, CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the organisation was reviewing that decision. Critics took aim at the scheme, questioning how it would affect where the event sits on the global fixture list, how much exposure national sides would get, and what it would mean commercially.
Going back to a biennial format remains unconfirmed for now.
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