The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a major announcement: the cancellation of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition exclusively for players in African domestic leagues.
Its president, Patrice Motsepe, justified this decision with economic and strategic reasons. According to him, the CHAN no longer aligns with the current direction of the continental body and was causing significant financial losses.
Created to showcase local talents and provide a platform for national leagues, the tournament struggled to generate sufficient revenue from TV rights, sponsorship, and ticket sales. In a context where CAF aims to enhance the profitability and appeal of its flagship competitions, this cancellation marks a significant turning point.
Now, the question is what measures will replace this absence and how local players will continue to gain international exposure on the African stage.
For Serigne Saliou Dia, the U20 national coach and former head of the local team and U17s, the CAF’s decision carries heavy consequences.
“We must first regret this decision,” he says, believing that the cancellation of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) could deal a severe blow to players in local leagues. For these talents often seeking visibility, the competition represented an exceptional showcase and a springboard to contracts abroad.
Established in 2007 and held for the first time in 2009 in Ivory Coast, the tournament saw the Democratic Republic of Congo claim the inaugural edition. Eight more editions followed, gradually establishing the CHAN as a major event in African local football, until this recent decision abruptly halted it.
Beyond the economic aspect raised by CAF, an entire dynamic of developing African domestic football is now at risk.
