Senegal players celebrate with their 2022 Chan trophy at the Nelson Mandela stadium in Algiers, Algeria, on February 4, 2023. [AFP]
Sub-Saharan African pay-TV operator SuperSport has confirmed that it will broadcast all the matches of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The month-long extravaganza will kick off on Saturday in Dar es Salaam with a match between hosts Tanzania and Burkina Faso before action shifts to Nairobi for the eagerly awaited Group A opener pitting Harambee Stars against two-time champions DR Congo. The final is slated for August 30 at Kasarani Stadium.
According to the South African-based broadcaster, the matches will be beamed live on DStv and GOtv. The eighth edition of Chan will feature 19 teams due to qualification quirks and withdrawals. Initially, CAF allocated 19 slots: three spots per regional zone plus one extra for the host zone (Cecafa), bringing the total to 19.
Uganda advanced through qualifying despite already qualifying automatically as co-host, pushing participant count to 19. Libya had initially qualified automatically from the Unaf zone, but withdrew in November 2024, citing fixture congestion and disruption to their domestic league schedule, reducing North African representation. Despite Libya’s exit, CAF retained all 19 spots by reallocating vacancies, so the total team count remains 19 going into the tournament.
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Hosting 2024 Chan enables Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to test and fine-tune the infrastructure – renovated or newly built stadiums (Kasarani, Nyayo, Talanta in Kenya; Benjamin Mkapa and Arusha in Tanzania; Namboole, Hoima, Lira in Uganda) – ahead of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to be co-hosted by the three East African nations.