- The first round of CHAN 2025 qualifiers will occur between October 25-27 for the first leg and November 1-3 for the second leg.
By Brian Magiri
The men’s national football team Harambee Stars has learned the opponent they will be playing in the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 qualifying matches.
In a draw that took place on Wednesday afternoon in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Kenya will play against South Sudan in the first round which will occur between October 25-27 for the first leg and November 1-3 for the second leg.
If Kenya beats South Sudan in the first round, they will face the winner between Djibouti and Rwanda in the second and final qualifying round scheduled for December 20-22 for the first leg, with the return leg played between December 27-29.
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Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, who are in the CECAFA region, received automatic qualification for the main event as hosts.
However, these teams will also participate in the knockout stage qualifiers, with the remaining eight teams competing for one spot, which adds an extra advantage.
Out of the five regions in Africa, each will send their best three teams from the qualifiers. The UNAF region, which has only three teams Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia has also secured direct tickets to the main tournament.
In the WAFU A and B regions, only two teams will compete in the first round, while the others will face each other in the second round.
For WAFU A, the winner between Sierra Leone and Liberia will face Senegal in the second round. For the WAFU B region, the winner between Togo and Benin will compete against Niger in the second round.
The tournament will be a curtain raiser for Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania as they prepare to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.
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CHAN 2025 Qualifiers
CECAFA 1st & 2nd Round Fixtures
Burundi vs. Somalia (winner will face Uganda in the second round)
Ethiopia vs. Eritrea; Sudan vs. Tanzania
South Sudan vs. Kenya; Djibouti vs. Rwanda
WAFU A
Sierra Leone vs. Liberia (winner to face Senegal)
Mauritania vs. Mali (second round)
Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau (second round)
WAFU B
Togo vs. Benin (winner to face Niger in the second round)
Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso (second round)
Ghana vs. Nigeria (second round)
UNIFFAC
Equatorial Guinea vs. Congo (Brazzaville)
Central African Republic vs. Cameroon
Chad vs. DR Congo
COSAFA
Eswatini vs. Zimbabwe (winner to face Madagascar in the second round)
Lesotho vs. Namibia (winner to face Angola in the second round)
Mozambique vs. Zambia
ALSO READ: SportPesa launch revolutionary Tujiamini Initiative to nurture talent
Tujiamini is an initiative that seeks to provide a platform, including up to 30M shillings in funding, for individual, team sports and various talent, in a year-long campaign that will go around the country in a move aimed at evoking the sense of pride in Kenya’s sports and talent ecosystem.
Applicants are urged to submit their applications through www.tujiamini.co.ke