Teams are rearing to go as momentum continues to build ahead of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 kick-off.
East African neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are co-hosting the tournament from August 2-30, 2025, with Tanzania expected to set the ball rolling with the opening fixture against Burkina Faso on Saturday (August 2).
Coming to East Africa for the first time since Rwanda played host in 2016, the biennial tournament comes with numerous opportunities – from economic to possible growth of football in the region.
“This is not just about hosting a tournament. It’s about seizing the moment to redefine our footballing identity to build, to test, and to inspire,” said Hemed Suleiman, Tanzania’s Taifa Stars head coach, during an interview with local media.
He added that CHAN represents a unique opportunity for the growth of football in East Africa.
Tanzania headlines group B, and besides Burkina Faso, the team will be up against Madagascar, Mauritania and Central African Republic.
The coach said they have taken enough time to analyze their group opponents, with the rallying call to his players being hinged on getting out of the 5-team-group.
“Burkina Faso have a strong local league and technical discipline,” the tactician, popularly known as Morocco, said of their first group opponents.
“Mauritania are tactically modern. Madagascar plays with speed and flair. The Central African Republic are unpredictable but aggressive.”
Meanwhile, Mauritania coach, Aritz López Garai said his squad is determined to make the country proud during their fourth CHAN appearance.
The Mourabitounes reached the quarterfinal stage during the 2022 edition in Algeria, with coach Garai hoping to use it as a springboard to fluke the team’s ambitions this time round.
“Our main goal is to make the Mauritanian people and our football authorities proud of our performance. In football, almost anything is possible. But our key objective is to be a competitive team with a clear identity, and to make Mauritania proud whenever they see us play,” the Spaniard said during a question-and-answer session with CAF.
Kenya will square it out with former champions Morocco, and DRC, Zambia and Angola in group A, while Uganda will be up against Algeria, Guinea, Niger and South Africa.
Tickets are already on sale via https://www.cafonline.com/caf-african-nations-championship/tickets/
As part of its meticulous organization, the Confederations of African Football (CAF) has indicated that tickets will not be sold at venues on match days, urging fans to get them in advance from an online system.
Two-time champions Morocco and DRC enter CHAN 2024 as tournament favourites. In contrast, no East African nation has ever lifted the CHAN trophy in the tournament’s 16-year history. But with home advantage and the passionate support of the 12th man — the fans — could this be the moment for Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda?
