Nigeria, unranked will be in the third pot, comprising the least strong teams, for the final draw of the 2024 African Nations Championship.

In the same Pot C with Nigeria are DR Congo, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and the two other teams that will emerge in the second-tier qualifying tournament that will be held.

The three co-host nations of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda are already allocated the top positions in Groups A to C respectively. Senegal, the defending champions, will head Group D.

When the draw ceremony begins, the first team drawn from Pot A will go to Group A as the second seed of the group already headed by Tanzania. The second team drawn from the same Pot A will join Kenya as Team B2. From Pot A, the third team picked will join Uganda as Team C2 while the fourth team will be in Group D headed by Senegal.

The teams in Pot A are Morocco, Niger, Congo and Madagascar. The same procedure will be done for Pot B which comprises Mauritania, Guinea, Sudan and Angola. The first drawn will be allocated A3 in Group A headed by Tanzania.

This will be followed by the next drawn team as B3 in the group headed by Kenya while the next will go into Groups C and D to be the third teams respectively joining Uganda and Senegal.  

The same procedure will be taken for the Pot C comprising Nigeria, four other teams and the two yet-to-emerge qualifiers.

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Hours before the final draw for the 8th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, a logo has been unveiled for the competition which has been postponed till August.

According to CAF, the championship’s organisers, the new look for the tournament brings a fresh identity and emphasises its deep-rooted connections to African football and culture.

It comes with a new CHAN 2024 trophy that features a sleek, contemporary design, combining gold and silver elements, representing the prestige and growing stature of the tournament.

A significant detail is the 54 distinct lines encircling the trophy, symbolizing the 54 African nations united with a map of the continent at its core.

This element underscores the championship’s celebration of diversity and unity across the continent. Each line represents the foundation of African football, a pathway carved by our passion and skill, a tribute to our players and our dreams.

The new trophy stands as a powerful symbol of African football’s ongoing progress and our shared passion for the game.

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

On the surface, CAF hinged the postponement of the 2024 African Nations Championship to the facilities in the host countries not being ready. The continental body in the same breath praised the “good progress made in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the host countries.”

But GhanaSoccer.net has reported that an inadequate number of teams for the final competition may have been the cause of the postponement.

Only 13 teams are reflected in the final draw leading to the title match. The 13 are joined by the host nations to take the field to 16. Rwanda, initially offered a wild card, is not reflected in the final draw list.

The late acceptance of Algeria to the field has not yet been confirmed as the country’s name is missing from the list released by CAF just hours before the draw. There is however provision for possible two entries.

Algeria agreed to be the 19th team, opting to field its youth team as domestic players in the lead league cannot be legally compelled to release players outside a non-FIFA international calendar.

CAF needs a field of either 20 or 24 to run a perfect competition. It will also ensure a regional balancing.

The qualifying series was plagued with a series of withdrawals owing to the timing of the final competition which was originally scheduled for 2024 before being moved to February 2025.

Domestic leagues of the various countries are normally in full swing at this time.

Egypt, South Africa and Algeria among others had to pull out. These countries along with The Gambia and Comoros are now being offered wild card entries with only Algeria giving definite acceptance.

CAF has now opted for August as it possibly wants the domestic leagues to wrap up their campaigns smoothly, without interrupting momentum and to also avoid straining players.

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H