By Abuja, Nigeria
The President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe has officially unveiled the format and calendar of the new annual African Nations League in Dar es Salaam, Senegal, confirming that the tournament will commence in 2029.
He stated that the African Nations League is designed to provide consistent, high-level competition for all 54 member associations. He added that the League will operate on a zonal, home-and-away format rather than being staged in a single host nation.
The Super Eagles have been placed in the 16-nation West Africa Zone, where they will face long-standing rivals including Senegal national football team, Ghana national football team, Ivory Coast national football team, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea during the group phase.
Unlike the Africa Cup of Nations, which will shift to a four-year cycle from 2028, the African Nations League is intended to fill the competitive calendar by delivering meaningful fixtures annually during the FIFA international windows in September and October where Zonal winners will progress to a continental finals stage.
CAF has also announced a $10 million prize for the overall champions, underscoring its ambition to establish the competition as a major fixture in African football. The tournament will be divided into four geographic zones: North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central and Southern Africa.
