# CAF regulatory, financial, and political updates

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/caf-regulatory-and-financial-updates
> Updated: 2026-10-08T13:27:30.000Z. Sources: 51. Developments: 2.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has implemented several regulatory and financial updates aimed at improving the governance and sustainability of African football.

Initially, the CAF Executive Committee approved new player registration rules for interclub competitions, including removing cup-tied restrictions and increasing squad limits to 40 players. Following these shifts, CAF held a strategy conference in Cape Verde to discuss elevating continental standards. During this period, the organization announced an increase in club solidarity payments, doubling them to $100,000 for clubs eliminated in preliminary rounds starting in the 2025/26 season.

At a subsequent strategic conference in Cape Verde, CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced that all 54 member associations have provided “unanimous and unconditional” support to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for his re-election in March 2027. While Infantino noted FIFA’s $1 billion investment into African football over the last decade via the FIFA Forward programme, some observers have questioned if this collective stance reflects the individual sovereignty of every national association.

Further developments at the Cape Verde summit highlighted increased financial support for member associations, with annual grants rising from $700,000 to $1 million per federation. Technical growth remains a priority, with experts such as Arsène Wenger participating in sessions focused on coaching and youth development. Recent updates from the conference also indicate that CAF is reviewing the possibility of returning to a biennial schedule for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Additionally, the 2027 AFCON is confirmed for Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with a final inspection scheduled for January 2027.

## Claims

- CAF has increased annual grants to member federations from 700,000 to 1 million dollars. (disputed by 2 sources)
- CAF has increased grants to its 54 member associations from over 200,000 to 700,000 dollars. (disputed)
- CAF launched a three-day strategic conference in Cape Verde. (corroborated by 21 sources)
- FIFA has invested 1 billion dollars in African football through 124 projects over the last ten years. (corroborated by 14 sources)
- The 54 CAF member associations support Gianni Infantino for reelection as FIFA President in March 2027. (corroborated by 13 sources)
- Arsène Wenger attended the CAF strategic conference. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The conference includes sessions to analyze African national teams' performance in the 2026 World Cup. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- CAF is reviewing the possibility of returning to a biennial schedule for the Africa Cup of Nations. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- 19,685 coaches received CAF certifications between 2021 and 2026. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-08: CAF leaders back Gianni Infantino and discuss football development

At a CAF strategic conference in Cape Verde, member associations unanimously backed Gianni Infantino for FIFA re-election, while CAF discussed increasing member grants and returning AFCON to a biennial format.

41 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/caf-hosts-strategy-conference-and-increases-club-solidarity-payments

### 2026-10-03: CAF approves new player registration rules and 2026–2030 calendar

CAF has updated its interclub competition rules, allowing players to represent multiple clubs per season and increasing squad limits to 40 players. A new 2026–2030 competition calendar was also approved.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/caf-approves-new-club-competition-regulations-and-2026-2030-calendar

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Cite as: CAF regulatory, financial, and political updates. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/caf-regulatory-and-financial-updates