Last Updated: 23 march 2026
The African Nations Championship is a football competition between national teams from African countries that is run by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Only national teams made up of players from local leagues are eligible for the tournament as opposed to the Africa Cup of Nations where legionnaires can play.
The 2024 African Nations Championship (a postponed tournament that was actually held in 2025) took place in the summer of 2025 and, for the first time in history, was held in three countries—Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Tournament featured 16 national teams, made up exclusively of players competing in their respective domestic leagues. The organizers divided the teams into groups, after which the strongest teams advanced to the knockout rounds to continue their quest for the title.
CHAN traditionally serves as a platform for showcasing local African football talent, giving players from national leagues the opportunity to establish themselves at the international level.
The idea for such a football competition originated in 2007. Two years later, the first African Cup of Nations was held in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), which was won by the Congo team. Eight teams competed in the first edition, and the number of teams has doubled since the following championships.
In 2016, CAF signed a sponsorship contract with a French oil company.
Over the history of this championship, teams from Morocco and Congo have won the title twice.
| The year | Venue | Results |
| 2024 | Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | Morocco (3rd title) |
| 2022 | Algeria | Senegal (1st title) |
| 2020 | Cameroon | Morocco (2nd title) |
Uncertainty currently surrounds the 2026 African Nations Championship. The tournament has not yet received official dates and is not included in the CAF calendar. This situation is largely due to the postponement of the previous edition, which took place in 2025, which disrupted the competition’s usual cycle. Furthermore, the future of CHAN is being impacted by the reform being discussed within CAF: the possibility of launching a new tournament, the African Nations League, which could potentially replace the current format, is being considered. As a result, the 2026 tournament remains uncertain.
Keep an eye on the dates of football championships and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
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