CHAN 2024: A Stage for new contenders as heavyweight’s miss out

The 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) lineup is set, with 18 teams qualifying after the second round of eliminations. Scheduled from February 1 to 28, 2025, the tournament will be hosted across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, showcasing local league talents from across the continent.

Defending champions Senegal and favorites like Morocco, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have secured their places.

However, the tournament’s narrative is shaped by surprise qualifiers and notable absences.

The Central African Republic, for the first time in its history, joins the competition, while giants like Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon failed to make the cut.

Further adding to the drama, Algeria and Egypt chose not to participate, and Tunisia and Libya withdrew despite automatic qualification.

These developments open doors for underdogs and emerging teams to take center stage in what promises to be a highly competitive tournament.

The 18 Qualified Teams:

Angola, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia.

With traditional powers absent and fresh faces in the mix, CHAN 2024 offers a rare opportunity for lesser-known teams to rewrite the history books and make their mark on African football.