Kenya is set to stage the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 tournament draw on Wednesday, 15 January 2025.
The event is expected to kick off at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT / 19:00 Cairo time) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.
The much-anticipated continental tournament, which brings together players from domestic league clubs across Africa will be co-hosted by three East African nations: Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, from 1-28 February 2025.
The draw will feature 19 teams from across the continent.
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In addition to the host nations Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania who received direct entry, Sudan and Rwanda are the two countries that qualified from the CECAFA region..
Other countries include Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Zambia, Angola, and Madagascar.
With less than three weeks remaining, Kenya is racing against time to meet its deadline for completing the renovation of the two main stadiums. These renovations are essential to ensure the country is ready for the tournament.
Kenya had initially been given until 31 December 2025 to complete the work. However, after a CAF inspection a week before the deadline, the date was extended to 2025, with the hope that Kenya will be ready on time.
Principal Secretary of Sports, Peter Tum, announced that Nyayo Stadium would be ready by 5-10 January, while renovations at Moi International Stadium, Kasarani, are expected to be completed before the tournament begins. Additionally, training camps must also be ready ahead of the event.
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As Kenya rushes to meet CAF and FIFA standards for hosting the tournament, Uganda and Tanzania are already prepared.
Tanzania has two stadiums ready: Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, with a 60,000-seat capacity, and Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, which seats 15,000.
Similarly, Uganda has two CAF-certified stadiums: Nakivubo Stadium, with a 30,000-seat capacity, and Nelson Mandela Stadium, which seats 45,000. This venue was previously used by Kenya to host its AFCON qualifiers before they were eliminated.
As with previous editions, the CHAN 2024 promises to be a unique showcase of African football and a stepping stone for emerging talent, such as Lamine Camara (21), who has since become a global star and was recently voted Young Player of the Year at the 2024 CAF Awards.
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