The much-anticipated day is finally here as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the official draw for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals on Wednesday evening.The event will take place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) in Nairobi at 8 PM Kenyan time, setting the stage for the biannual tournament to be held for the first time in East Africa.##NAJAVA_MECA_8633308##The tournament, originally scheduled to begin in February, will now start in August after CAF announced a postponement on Tuesday.According to an official statement from Africa’s football governing body, CAF’s Technical and Infrastructure experts advised that additional time is needed to ensure the infrastructure and facilities meet the necessary standards for hosting a successful event.The 2024 CHAN tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Wednesday’s draw will determine the groupings and match fixtures for the competition, which will see teams from across Africa competing in what promises to be a thrilling tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_8633288##Kenya had initially been slated to host CHAN in 2018, but the country lost the opportunity due to unprepared stadia, resulting in the tournament being moved to Morocco. However, both the Kenyan government and CAF have worked tirelessly since then to ensure that the 2024 edition will be successfully hosted by the three East African nations.Government provides fresh details on Nyayo, Kasarani Stadia preparedness to host CHAN [PHOTOS]The nations that have already qualified for the tournament include the co-hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, along with Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Angola, and Madagascar. Two more teams will be confirmed for the finals to complete the lineup.Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, as the host nations, will be automatically seeded as A1, B1, and C1, respectively. The remaining teams have been seeded based on their performances in the previous three editions of CHAN (2018, 2020, and 2022).In Pot 1, there are two strong contenders: Morocco and reigning champions Senegal. Pot 2 consists of Guinea, Zambia, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Sudan. Pot 3 contains Mauritania, Niger, Congo, Angola, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Notably, DRC has won the tournament twice (2009 and 2016), as has Morocco (2018 and 2020). Tunisia (2011), Libya (2014), and Senegal (2022) have each won the tournament once.Sylvaine Ricks reveals secret behind Ulinzi Stars’ recent winsThe draw ceremony will feature three African football legends, one from each co-hosting nation: McDonald Mariga from Kenya, Hassan Wasswa from Uganda, and Mrisho Ngasa from Tanzania. These football icons will conduct the draw, which marks the beginning of the eighth edition of the competition, scheduled to take place sometime in August.The trio—Wasswa, Ngasa, and Mariga—have made significant contributions to the growth of football in their respective countries and are revered for their on-field achievements.##NAJAVA_MECA_8633275##Mariga, Kenya’s first-ever player to compete in the UEFA Champions League, had an illustrious career that included winning the prestigious European title with Inter Milan in 2010.He also claimed the Serie A trophy, two Coppa Italia titles, and the FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Inter. Mariga earned 40 caps for Kenya, scoring five goals, and is the elder brother of fellow Kenyan football legend Victor Wanyama.FKF Leagues Committee set to address harassment, assault of match officialsHassan Wasswa is a former Uganda international whose career spanned over a decade. He earned 75 caps for the national team and played club football in Turkey and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 2021.Mrisho Ngasa, one of Tanzania’s finest footballers, is the second most-capped player in the nation’s history, with over 100 appearances and 25 goals. He played for some of Tanzania’s biggest clubs, including Simba SC, Young Africans, and Azam FC, while also enjoying stints in South Africa and Oman.As the CHAN 2024 draw unfolds this evening, football fans across the continent will eagerly await the group stage matchups and fixtures, officially kicking off the journey toward a month of exciting African football in East Africa.Relief for Kenya as CAF postpones African Nations Championship (CHAN)
