Ghana and Nigeria Set for 2024 CHAN Showdown
Black stars will face Nigeria for a spot in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after the two West African rivals were drawn together in Wednesday's qualifying draw. This matchup echoes their encounter ahead of the 2022 finals, where Ghana advanced through a penalty shootout following a 2-2 aggregate tie.
A total of 42 teams entered the qualifying rounds for the 2024 tournament, which is exclusively for domestic-based players across Africa. The entrants have been divided into six regional zones, with five zones offering three qualifiers each.
The Cecafa region has been granted an additional spot, allowing for four teams to qualify since Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will participate in the preliminaries despite being automatic qualifiers as joint hosts. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stated that the team achieving the best result in the Cecafa qualifiers will advance.
The finals, scheduled to take place from February 1 to 28, 2024, will feature 19 teams, an increase from the 18 that participated in the 2022 edition. The tournament format has yet to be announced.
The two rounds of regional qualifiers will be conducted on a home-and-away basis, with the second round concluding between December 27 and 29. Among the North African entrants, two-time winners Morocco, 2011 champions Tunisia, and 2014 winners Libya are all guaranteed spots in the finals.
Defending champions Senegal will meet either Sierra Leone or Liberia in the second qualifying round. Additionally, CAF has announced a 60% increase in prize money compared to the previous edition, with the winners of the 2024 finals set to receive $2 million (£1.53 million).
The hosting of the 2024 CHAN finals in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda is seen as a precursor to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which these East African nations will also host.
CHAN 2024 Qualifying Draw
Western Zone A:
- First Round: Sierra Leone vs. Liberia
- Second Round: Sierra Leone or Liberia vs. Senegal, Mauritania vs. Mali, Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau
Western Zone B:
- First Round: Togo vs. Benin
- Second Round: Togo or Benin vs. Niger, Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso, Ghana vs. Nigeria
Central Zone:
- Equatorial Guinea vs. Congo-Brazzaville, Central African Republic vs. Cameroon, Chad vs. DR Congo
Central Eastern Zone:
- First Round: Burundi vs. Somalia, Ethiopia vs. Eritrea, Sudan vs. Tanzania, South Sudan vs. Kenya, Djibouti vs. Rwanda
- Second Round: Burundi or Somalia vs. Uganda, Ethiopia or Eritrea vs. Sudan or Tanzania, South Sudan or Kenya vs. Djibouti or Rwanda
Southern Zone:
- First Round: Zimbabwe vs. Eswatini, Lesotho vs. Namibia
- Second Round: Zimbabwe or Eswatini vs. Madagascar, Lesotho or Namibia vs. Angola, Mozambique vs. Zambia
The first round of qualifiers will take place from October 25-27 and November 1-3, with the second round scheduled for December 20-22 and December 27-29.
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