“It’s a shame” – AFCON 2025 star Ademola Lookman slams CAF over controversial four-year plan

Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman has criticised the Confederation of African Football’s decision to turn the Africa Cup of Nations into a four-year tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Atalanta forward described the move as ‘a shame' and a disappointment for players and fans across the continent.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe announced on the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations that the tournament will revert to even-numbered years and become a quadrennial event from 2028, ending more than five decades of a two-year cycle that has defined African international football.

The announcement was made in Rabat just hours before the opening match of the Morocco-hosted tournament, with Motsepe confirming that AFCON would be aligned with a wider calendar restructuring that includes the introduction of an African Nations League.

“Our focus now is on this Afcon, but in 2027, we will be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and the Afcon after that will be in 2028,” Motsepe told reporters.

“Then, after the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029, we will have the first African Nations League… with more prize money, more resources, more competition.

“As part of this arrangement, the Afcon now will take place once every four years.”

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Ademola Lookman: ‘It is a disappointment'

But Ademola Lookman, one of the standout performers of AFCON 2025 and Nigeria’s most influential player so far in the tournament, has questioned the wisdom of the decision.

Speaking to Peoples Gazette in Fes the 28-year-old acknowledged that the decision was effectively irreversible, but made clear his dissatisfaction.

“The decision has been made, we can’t really change it,” Lookman said.

“It is a shame as Africans are not able to get the tournament every two years like we are used to. It is a disappointment.”

AFCON has been held every two years since 1968, after its inauguration in 1957, and switched to odd-numbered years in 2013 to avoid clashes with the FIFA World Cup. The new plan would significantly reduce the number of tournaments a player can realistically attend during their career.

Currently, Tunisia’s Youssef Msakni, Ghana’s Andre Ayew and Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan jointly hold the record for most AFCON appearances, each featuring in eight tournaments. Nigeria’s record is held by Austin Okocha, who played in five editions and made 22 appearances for the Super Eagles.

Under a four-year cycle, matching or surpassing those milestones would become extremely unlikely.

Despite his criticism of CAF’s decision, Lookman remains firmly focused on Nigeria’s campaign in Morocco. The Super Eagles have won all three of their group matches and qualified for the last 16 with a perfect record, strengthening belief that a fourth continental title is possible.

“It is three games that we have won,” Lookman noted.

“We want to continue to win the games as we face everybody because if you want to win the tournament we have to face the best team so we are looking forward to the test ahead.”

Nigeria, champions in 1980, 1994 and 2013, are chasing a fourth AFCON crown in Morocco.