Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially ended the African Nations Championship (CHAN), the tournament for African players who ply their trade in domestic leagues.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe announced the move at a press conference on Saturday, saying the tournament in its present form is not really suitable anymore. CHAN will be replaced by a new annual African Nations League, which will better fit CAF’s vision of developing African football over the long term, he added.
CHAN brought to the fore great talents that were locally based around the continent since it was first launched in 2009. The opening edition staged by the Ivory Coast was won by DR Congo. After the first edition, Tunisia, Libya, and DR Congo have won the tournament successively.
Morocco stands out as the most triumphant country of the tournament with three trophies. They won the double in 2018 and 2020, the former one at home and the latter one in Cameroon, and the last edition in August, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
CAF is due to make an announcement on the African Nations League structure in the near future.
