Congo Brazzaville will participate in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Committee overturned their disqualification and reinstated them into the tournament.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsThe turnaround follows a successful appeal by the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT), which challenged an earlier decision that had awarded their qualification spot to Equatorial Guinea.##NAJAVA_MECA_8982681##The dispute began after Congo defeated Equatorial Guinea 2-1 on aggregate during the final round of the UNIFFAC (Central Africa) CHAN qualifiers. However, Equatorial Guinea protested with CAF, claiming Congo had fielded an ineligible player—22-year-old forward Japhet Mankou—and used invalid national licenses for several players.CAF’s Disciplinary Committee upheld the protest in its May 27 ruling, disqualifying Congo, awarding both legs to Equatorial Guinea by forfeit, and imposing a $10,000 fine on the Congolese federation. As a result, Equatorial Guinea was temporarily declared qualified for the CHAN finals.Harambee Starlets out to massacre South Sudan in CECAFA tieHowever, in a meeting held on June 17 in Cairo, the CAF Appeals Committee ruled in favor of Congo, annulling the disciplinary decision and confirming that the match results from the December 2024 qualifiers—0-0 in the first leg and 2-1 in the second—would stand. This officially confirmed Congo’s qualification for CHAN 2024 and disqualified Equatorial Guinea.Congo’s reinstatement comes just weeks after FIFA lifted a suspension that had barred the country from international football due to government interference in the operations of its football federation. Congo will now commence preparations for the tournament, which kicks off on August 2 and runs through August 30.Kenya Police FC to strengthen squad ahead of CAF Champions League debutCongo has been placed in Group D alongside reigning champions Senegal, Nigeria, and Sudan—a competitive group where the top two teams will advance to the quarter-finals.The African Nations Championship (CHAN) is a unique tournament organized by CAF and held every two years. Unlike the Africa Cup of Nations, CHAN is exclusively reserved for players who play in their national domestic leagues, making it a vital platform for showcasing local talent across the continent.Veteran coach Manoah preaching caution on FKF’s structural proposals
