THE DELAYED 2024 African Nations
Championship (CHAN 2024) is a biennial men's football competition reserved for
players who play in their national domestic leagues, which is currently being
jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
This year’s edition of CHAN 2024
tournament will be heading to the quarter-finals after group stage matches end
on Tuesday.
Football giants Nigeria, Zambia and
South Africa failed to qualify.
In African football, CHAN and the
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are the premier tournaments of the sport. But
they bear notable differences despite both being organised by the Confederation
of African Football (CAF).
Promote domestic football
AFCON is and remains the most
prestigious of the two since its inception in 1957.
CHAN was introduced in 2009 and only
features players who ply their trade in domestic leagues. The aim is to promote
domestic football development by encouraging national associations to invest in
domestic leagues and provide exposure to home-based players.
“It is a showcase of Africa’s best
homegrown players, often providing a springboard for emerging stars to secure
moves abroad,” CAF said in an explainer.
For instance, Kenya’s midfielder
Mohammed Bajaber was selected to feature at the CHAN 2024 but got ruled out
five days to the start of the tournament after he joined Tanzanian giants,
Simba Sports Club, rendering him ineligible.
On the other hand AFCON is open to
all eligible players, regardless of where they play professionally. Whether its
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray in Türkiye or Egypt’s Mo Salah of
Liverpool in Engalnd they can be called up to play at AFCON.
Commercial muscle
AFCON is also known for commanding
huge TV audiences and commercial backing. Whereas CHAN is gaining popularity,
it has still less publicity and generates lower commercial revenues because
broadcasting is often limited to regional networks.
“CHAN is a crucial tournament for
unleashing the potential of young talented players in Africa, unfortunately it
doesn’t get the attention it deserves,” Idi Rajabu, a football pundit based in
Arusha, Tanzania, tells TRT Afrika.
Rajabu reckons that more teams need
to compete in the tournament.
Another difference lies in the
organizational muscle involved in staging both tournaments.
AFCON tournaments require major
infrastructure investments such as world-class stadiums, training bases, hotels
and media facilities.
The Confederation of African Football
(CAF) has been using CHAN as a curtain-raiser for AFCON to test infrastructure
and logistics.
JISAJIRI SASA NA PLAY MASTER BET - BETI KIRAHISI
BONYEZA HAPA KUJISAJIRI
