The TotalEnergies African Nations Championship, or CHAN, is set to kick off on Sunday, August 2, at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
Originally scheduled for February, the tournament was postponed due to infrastructure delays in the co-hosting nations. Kenya is co-hosting the championship alongside Tanzania and Uganda, with games set to be played in Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar.
Drawn in arguably the group of death, Kenya’s Harambee Stars will face the Atlas Lions of Morocco, who have participated in four CHAN editions (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020) and won twice (2018, 2020), the Sable Antelopes of Angola, who featured in 2011, 2016, 2018, and 2022, and the Chipolopolo of Zambia, who played in 2009, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
The tournament has a rich history of surprising winners since its inception in 2009. It features only players based in their home country's domestic leagues and has seen five different nations lift the trophy, including the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 and 2016, and Morocco in 2018 and 2020.
Tunisia, Libya, and Senegal have also won the championship in 2011, 2014, and 2022, respectively. The inaugural tournament in 2009, hosted by Ivory Coast, was won by DR Congo. The Leopards beat Ghana 2-0 in the final, a stunning reversal of fortunes after losing to the same team in the group stage.
This victory cemented their place in history as the first-ever CHAN champions. In 2011, Tunisia claimed the title in Sudan with a convincing 3-0 win over Angola. This triumph was particularly meaningful for the North African nation, coming shortly after the Tunisian Revolution.
Libya’s victory in 2014 was a story of pure resilience. Hosted in South Africa, the Libyans battled their way to the final through a series of draws and penalty shootout victories.
They clinched the title by defeating Ghana 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw, securing their first major continental trophy. DR Congo made history again in 2016 in Rwanda, becoming the first nation to win the tournament twice.
They dominated the final, beating Mali 3-0 with a standout performance from Meschack Elia, who was later named the tournament’s MVP. Morocco then established their own dominance, becoming the first and only team to win back-to-back titles.
They first won on home soil in 2018, thrashing Nigeria 4-0 in a memorable final. Two years later, they successfully defended their title in Cameroon, defeating Mali 2-0. The most recent champions are Senegal, who won the 2022 edition in Algeria.
The Lions of Teranga, who had also won the Africa Cup of Nations, completed a historic double by beating the hosts 5-4 on penalties after a dramatic goalless final.
