Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Confederation of African Football has announced postponement of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be cohosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to August this year.
A media release by CAF had it that good progress has been made in the three East African countries, with the construction and upgrading of stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities for hosting of a successful CHAN Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024.
However, it noted that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, have advised CAF that more time is required to ensure that the infrastructure and facilities, are at the levels necessary for hosting a successful CHAN.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe was quoted as saying: “I would like to express my deep gratitude to President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda for their leadership, commitment and the good progress that has been made in building and upgrading the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities.
“I am impressed with the ongoing construction and renovations of the football infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. I am confident that the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities will be at the requisite CAF standards for hosting, in August 2025, a very successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024.” The much-anticipated draw for the CHAN will take place today at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM East Africa Time (GMT+3), or 5:00 PM local time in Cairo, where the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is headquartered.
The tournament will feature 18 teams, with confirmed participants including the co-host nations — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda—along with Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.
For Tanzania, this marks their third appearance in the competition. With the passionate support of their home crowd, the Taifa Stars, under Head Coach Hemed Suleiman ‘Morocco’, will be looking to break new ground and reach the knockout stages for the first time.
Riding on the momentum of a growing domestic league and strong recent performances in CAF competitions, Tanzania aim to make a deep run in the tournament. Defending Champions Senegal return to the competition with one goal in mind: to retain their title. Led by the Head coach Souleymane Diallo, the Lions of Teranga are a wellbalanced side full of talent and ambition.
Senegal clinched the 2023 CHAN title after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Algeria, triumphing 5-4 after a goalless draw. Adding star power to the draw ceremony, three African football legends will oversee the proceedings.
Representing the cohost nations are Tanzania’s Mrisho Ngasa, Uganda’s Hassan Wasswa and Kenya’s McDonald Mariga. Ngasa, one of Tanzania’s most celebrated players, earned 100 international caps, making him the second most capped player in the nation’s history.
He is also the country’s all-time leading scorer, with 25 goals to his name. Wasswa, a stalwart of Ugandan football, represented Ugandan National Team, The Cranes 75 times over a career that spanned more than a decade. The defensive midfielder also played professionally in Turkey and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 2021.
Kenya’s McDonald Mariga is a decorated former midfielder with a career that includes a UEFA Champions League title with Inter Milan in 2010. Mariga, the first Kenyan to play in the Champions League, also won two Coppa Italia titles, a Serie A trophy and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He earned 40 caps for Kenya, scoring five goals. The 2024 CHAN promises to be a thrilling showcase of Africa’s finest home-based football talent, with the tournament set to capture the attention of football fans across the continent and beyond.
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