Just eighteen days before the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) was scheduled to begin in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the competition has been rescheduled till August.
According to a statement from the Confederation of African Football (Caf), its experts have recommended that “more time is required” to guarantee that the facilities and infrastructure for the finals are “at the levels necessary.”
Kenya’s then-sports minister took action last month to calm fears that the nation may lose the privilege to host the competition, which is for players who are based there.
Some nations have already confirmed their squads and started training camps for the 2024 CHAN, which was scheduled to take place from February 1 to February 28.
The precise dates of the postponed tournament will be announced by Caf “in due course.”
“I am confident that the stadiums, other infrastructure and facilities will be at the requisite Caf standards for hosting, in August 2025, a very successful CHAN,” Caf president Patrice Motsepe said.
CHAN 2024 hosting rights were awarded in December 2023, and the second-tier competition is considered as a dress rehearsal before Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda become the first three-way hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.
Although the final team lineup has not yet been determined, the CHAN group draw will proceed as scheduled in Nairobi on Wednesday despite the postponement.
Before Libya and Tunisia withdrew from the finals, 19 countries were originally scheduled to compete.
Caf is anticipated to provide information about a different qualifying tournament that will be held prior to the rescheduled tournament in order to cover the voids.
Mote
The withdrawals and the fact that over ten nations did not participate in the first qualifying tournament have raised concerns about CHAN’s sustainability because it conflicts with major domestic tournaments, from which players would need to be released.
Last week Caf increased prize money for the winners by 75% to $3.5m (£2.8m), while the total prize money on offer at the finals is $10.4m (£8.5m).
CHAN was first played in 2009 and the 2022 edition, which was played in early 2023 in Algeria and featured 17 teams after Morocco withdrew, was won by Senegal.
Kenya (co-hosts), Tanzania (co-hosts), Uganda (co-hosts), Angola, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, DR Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Zambia.
