The Confederation of African Football has confirmed the host countries and the qualifying schedule for the next edition of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
This announcement ends weeks of speculation about which nations would take on the responsibility and when the tournament would start.
In a landmark decision, CAF revealed that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will co-host the 2025 CHAN tournament.
This will be the first time in the competition’s history that it will be staged across three countries, with matches scheduled to take place between February 1 and February 28, 2025.
Expanded Format
In line with CAF’s commitment to broadening the competition, the 2025 edition will feature an expanded format.
The hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have automatically qualified and will be joined by 16 other nations, making up a total of 19 participating teams from across CAF’s regional zones.
While the match venues are yet to be confirmed, CAF has assured that the stadiums and training facilities will be finalized and announced in the coming months.
2027 AFCON Hosting Rights
President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Notably, this CHAN co-hosting arrangement serves as a precursor to an even bigger occasion: the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have also been awarded the rights to host that prestigious event, marking the first time in AFCON history that it will be staged across three countries.
Historically, AFCON has only been co-hosted twice before—first by Ghana and Nigeria in 2000, and then by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012.
The decision to spread both CHAN and AFCON across three nations aligns with a broader global trend of multi-nation tournaments, as seen with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
With major renovations planned for infrastructure and facilities, the three East African nations are set to showcase African football on a grand scale, bringing a new level of excitement to both CHAN and AFCON.
