The Africa Cup of Nations has only been held in even-numbered years.
Africa Cup of Nations . It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football ( CAF ) , and was first held in 1957 . Since 1968 , it has been held every two years . Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup 's history , winning the tournament a record of seven times ( including when Egypt was known as the United Arab Republic between 1958 and 1961 ) . The current trophy was first awarded in 2002 and with Egypt winning it indefinitely after winning their unprecedented third consecutive title in 2010 . As of 2013 , the tournament was switched to being held in odd-numbered years so as not to clash with the FIFA World Cup .