CAF president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed that Nigeria will host the inaugural edition of the African Nations League, scheduled to take place in 2029.
The announcement was made on Saturday, January 17, during a press conference held at the indoor hall of the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.
According to Motsepe, Nigeria will initially stage the opening phase of the competition involving 16 teams from the West African region. The tournament will then progress to a final phase featuring winners from CAF’s various regional zones, all of which will also be hosted in Nigeria.
The African Nations League is set to be an annual competition, while the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will move to a four-year cycle from 2028 onwards.
Nigeria has a rich AFCON hosting and winning history, having staged the tournament in 1980 and co-hosted it with Ghana in 2000. The Super Eagles lifted the trophy on home soil in 1980, before adding further titles in Tunisia in 1994 and South Africa in 2013.