The Confederation of African Football announced that AFCON will be staged every four years starting 2029, ending the current tradition of the biennial competition.
Nottingham Forest, which is one spot above the relegation zone in 17th, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal UK business hours.
South Africa finished the group stage with six points, Angola two and Zimbabwe one. Angola could squeeze into the knockouts as one of the best four third-placed teams.