Originally scheduled for 2024, the African Nations Championship (CHAN) is now taking place in August 2025, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. This postponement, due to infrastructure challenges and post-Covid organization, explains why the tournament keeps its original name despite the calendar shift.
The African Nations Championship (CHAN), reserved for players competing in their countries’ domestic leagues, was initially planned for September 2024. However, the event has been postponed multiple times, finally beginning on August 2, 2025, raising the question: why is it called CHAN 2024 when it occurs in 2025?
The delay stems from several factors. First, the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the African football calendar. Second, the host countries—Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda—faced challenges upgrading the necessary infrastructure, including stadiums, training fields, and medical facilities. These CAF requirements led to several postponements. Thus, the competition originally set for February 2025 was moved to August 2025 to ensure adequate logistics and successful hosting.
Despite the delay, CAF retained the name “CHAN 2024” in line with international tradition, which preserves the official year of the event to maintain consistency within the sports calendar and avoid confusion with future editions.
This 8th edition is the largest in CHAN history, featuring 19 teams across multiple cities in the three co-host countries. It includes notable nations such as Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both two-time champions, as well as Senegal, the defending titleholder since 2022.
Beyond the name, the postponement reflects ongoing efforts by African authorities to sustainably improve football infrastructure on the continent. CAF President Patrice Motsepe has praised the progress made and emphasized the championship’s vital role as a stepping stone to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
