2024 CHAN Draw: Defending champions Senegal, Kenya and Nigeria learn their fates

The draw for the finals of the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament took place on Wednesday in Nairobi, revealing that Kenya has been placed in a challenging group.

The East African nation will compete in Group A, which includes two-time champions Morocco, DR Congo, Angola, and Zambia, creating a pool filled with former champions and strong teams. The event was hosted at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where 19 teams were allocated into four groups.

Another host nation, Tanzania, was assigned to Group B, where they will face Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic. Co-host Uganda has been placed in Group C, where they will encounter Niger, Guinea, and two qualifiers yet to be determined.

Defending champions Senegal are in Group D, a four-team group that includes Congo, Sudan, and Nigeria.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has indicated that two teams must secure their spots in the groups prior to the tournament, which was originally set for February 1st to 28th but has been rescheduled to August 2025.

CAF issued a statement confirming: “Two teams must still secure their places at the finals, with Algeria, Comoros, Gambia, Malawi, Egypt, South Africa, and Gabon participating in a qualification campaign to fill the slots for Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.”

The draw was facilitated by three East African football legends: Hassan Wasswa from Uganda, Mrisho Ngasa from Tanzania, and Kenya’s McDonald Mariga. This marks the second occasion the tournament will be hosted in East Africa, the first being in 2016 in Rwanda.

On December 17th, 2023, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were announced as co-hosts for the 2024 edition, serving as a preparatory event for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The tournament showcases national teams composed of players actively participating in their local leagues. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco stand out as the most accomplished teams in this competition, each having secured two titles. They are followed by Tunisia, Libya, and the reigning champions, Senegal, who each hold one title.

Initiated in 2009 with eight participating teams, the tournament expanded to sixteen teams for its second through sixth editions and currently features 19 teams since the 2022 edition.

The idea for this tournament was conceived on September 11, 2007, during a CAF Executive Committee meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The primary objective was to provide opportunities for homegrown players to represent their countries and to enhance the global visibility of their domestic leagues.

The tournament received official approval in January 2008, prior to that year's Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. Following the conclusion of that tournament in February, CAF unanimously selected Ivory Coast to host the inaugural edition, despite strong competition from countries such as Sudan and Egypt. Subsequently, the tournament dates and schedules were finalized.

The seventh edition took place in Algeria, where Senegal claimed their first title by defeating Algeria in the final through a penalty shootout, winning 5-4 after the match ended in a 0-0 draw. This victory made Senegal the first team to win both the Africa Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship consecutively.

Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia

Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic

Group C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2

Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria.

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