October 09, (THEWILL) – The 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying draw took place in Cairo on Wednesday, pairing regional rivals Ghana and Nigeria. This marks the third encounter between these football powerhouses in CHAN qualifiers, a tournament exclusively for players competing in their birth countries.
Ghana holds the upper hand in previous CHAN qualifiers, having bested Nigeria twice. The first victory came in 2009 with a 3-2 aggregate win, followed by a penalty shootout triumph after a 2-2 draw in 2023. Nigeria now seeks to reverse this trend, with the first leg scheduled in Ghana between December 20-22, and the return match set for the subsequent weekend.
The victorious team will earn a spot in the finals, slated for February 1-28. In a historic first, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will jointly host the 19-nation tournament. These three nations, along with one additional East African country, are guaranteed participation despite taking part in the qualifying rounds.
Eritrea returns to CHAN competition for the first time since their 2009 loss to Uganda, drawing neighbouring Ethiopia as their opponent. The country’s absence from African football events and world rankings in recent years has been notable, with numerous Eritrean footballers seeking asylum abroad, citing extended military service and limited political freedoms as primary motivations.
Defending champions, Senegal after their penalty shootout victory against Algeria in the 2023 final, commenced their title defence against either Sierra Leone or Liberia. Other former champions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, are also in contention. However, Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa have declined to participate, citing scheduling conflicts.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
