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By Henry Owino
Nairobi, Kenya: The African Nations Championship (CHAN), 8th Edition, kicked off in three East Africa nations in harness. The continental football tournament is being co-hosted for the very first time in; Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Apart from co-host Uganda, the other duo had a bright win in their opening matches over their opponents by bagging in 3 necessary points. Tanzania’s Taifa Stars shattered Burkina-Faso’s Les Étalons 3-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday 2nd August.
Kenya’s Harambee Stars silenced two times champions DR Congo’s Les Léopards, 1-0 in Group A, a match played at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on Sunday 3rd August. The 60,000-seat stadium was only 48,000 full because of problems with ticket purchases.
It was only the co-host Uganda’s Cranes who were thrashed by Algeria’s Desert Foxes or Les Fennecs in French 3-0 in their opening match, Group C, on Monday 4th August. The match was played at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, which drew a large crowd of fans blowing vuvuzelas with exhilarating sounds.
Most of the matches are slated in the evenings starting at 1800hrs with last played from 2000hrs East Africa Time (EAT). All the matches are live streamed by respective nations’ State Broadcasting televisions, courtesy of SuperSport.
CHAN, is a biennial African association football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football since 2009 and first announced in September 2007. A total of 19 nations is taking part in CHAN 2024, though played in 2025 behind the tournament calendar schedule.
The CHAN may not command the global spotlight like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but it remains a cornerstone of African football.
Designed to showcase homegrown talent, CHAN has over the years grown into a competitive tournament that gives local-based players a chance to shine on the continental stage. The overall CHAN winner is set to bag US$ 3.5 million at the end of the tournament on 30th August 2025.
CHAN History
Since its inception in 2009, the tournament has not only provided a platform for rising stars but also served as a celebration of national leagues and local football culture across the continent.
The CHAN tournament was established by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2007 and held for the first time in 2009. Its unique structure allows only players who ply their trade in their home country’s domestic league to participate.
Ivory Coast hosted the inaugural edition in 2009 with a total of 8 teams participating. CAF selected it to host the edition during their January 2008 executive meeting, choosing them over other contenders like Sudan and Egypt.
First CHAN was held from February 22 to March 8, 2009 in two cities-Abidjan and Bouaké, with matches played at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan and Stade Bouaké. Ivory Coast, however, failed to advance from Group A.
They finished bottom with just one point (draw) and two losses, including a 0–3 loss to Zambia and 0–1 to Tanzania. DR Congo emerged as the maiden champions after defeating Ghana 2–0 in the final.
The tournament has since been held in various African nations. Sudan hosted the second edition in 2011, expanding the competition from 8 to 16 teams. Tunisia emerged victorious, defeating Angola 3–0 in the final.
In 2014, South Africa hosted the event, where Libya secured their first major continental title with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Ghana.
Rwanda hosted in 2016, and DR Congo made history as the first nation to win CHAN twice, beating Mali 3–0 in the final.
In 2018, host nation Morocco claimed their inaugural CHAN title with a dominant 4–0 victory over Nigeria in the final.
Covid-19 CHAN Fixtures Postponement
Due to Covid-19, the 2020 fixtures were played in 2021 and despite Covid-19 challenges, Cameroon successfully hosted the event. Here, Morocco retained their title with a 2–0 win over Mali.
Senegal secured their first CHAN victory in the most recent tournament, held in Algeria in 2023 (originally the 2022 edition), by defeating the host nation on penalties in the final.
The CHAN 2024 is Eighth Edition and is being co-hosted for the first time by three nations; Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It officially began on 2nd August and continues up to 30th August, 2025. It was initially set to take place from February 1 to 28, 2025, but was subsequently postponed due to infrastructure delays.
Speaking during a past event, CAF President Patrice Motsepe highlighted the region’s infrastructure improvements and pledged that this would be the most successful CHAN ever. He emphasized its role as a pathway for players and as a foundation for AFCON 2027.
Nineteen national teams, including the three host nations and qualifiers from CAF’s six regions, are participating. This marks an increase from 16 teams, with high expectations for the host countries to win their first CHAN title.
Heads of States Promises to Hosting Teams
Kenya’s President William Samoei Ruto promised Kenya team, KES 1 million to every player for each match win, while a half million for a draw. If the team clinches the CHAN title, a total of KES 600 million for the team.
“I am going to give out KES 1 million for every match victory to each player. For any draw is a half a million and KES 600 million or (about US$ 4.7 million) should you bring the CHAN title home,” President Ruto pledged.
Former Nairobi Governor, Mike Mbuvi Sonko on the same breath pledged an additional of KES 400 million or about US$ 3 million) in his capacity. This therefore makes up a sum total of KES 1 billion or (approximately US$ 7 million) to team Kenya.
“As the football lover and son of this country, I am adding KES 400 million to President Ruto’s pledge to make it KES 1 billion,” Sonko vowed.
In Uganda, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni pledges to reward the Ugandan national football team with 1.2 billion Ugandan shillings (KES 43 million) or approximately (US$ 334,000) for every win in CHAN 2024.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania promises 1 billion Tanzanian shillings (US$400, 000) to the Tanzanian national team if they win the tournament.
New Logo For CHAN 2024
In January, CAF unveiled the new logo and trophy for this year’s CHAN. The federation said the new trophy stands as a powerful symbol of African football’s ongoing progress and shared passion for the game.
The new look came just hours before the final draw of the games was conducted in Nairobi on Wednesday night from 8 pm.
In a statement, CAF said the changes bring a fresh identity and emphasized the tournament’s deep-rooted connections to African football and culture.
“It comes with a new TotalEnergies CHAN trophy that features a sleek, contemporary design, combining gold and silver elements, representing the prestige and growing stature of the tournament,” CAF said.
Among the new features of the trophy are 54 distinct lines encircling the trophy, a significant detail CAF says symbolizes the 54 African nations united with a map of the continent at its core.
“This element underscores the championship’s celebration of diversity and unity across the continent. Each line represents the foundation of African football, a pathway carved by our passion and skill, a tribute to our players and our dreams,” the federation said.
