After initially deciding to boycott this year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN), Algeria’s national football team has now announced it will participate in cthe ontinental tournament.
The event, set to from 1 to 28 February, will be co-hosted in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The Algerian paper An-Nahar broke the story on Wednesday, saying that their national team will only travel with the squad from the youth setup to gear up for the Arab Cup in Qatar next December.
Algeria had earlier declined to participate in the tournament, arguing that the timing was outside the FIFA calendar. But the federation has now gone back on its decision with just weeks from the kick-off.
African nations will find out their opponents in the CHAN competition on January 15 at 6 p.m.
CAF sweetened the pot earlier this week, raising the prize pool for the winners of this year’s CHAN to a $3.5 million – 75 percent increase from previous editions.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe called the tournament “vital for football’s growth.”
Seventeen teams are in the mix for the tournament. Host nations Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania lead the lineup, joined by Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria, and others.
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The CHAN is organized every two years. It differs from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as only players from the domestic league can join. Foreign-based players cannot participate.
CAF created this competition to promote local talents in Africa and give them a chance to show their skills to scouts and bigger clubs.
Côte d’Ivoire hosted the first CHAN tournament in 2009. The format of the competition is similar to the AFCON’s.
Teams play in qualifiers to reach the finals, where 16 teams compete in four groups of four. Then the top two teams of each group play in the knockouts for the trophy.
Morocco won the title twice in 2018 and 2020.
Senegal, who won the 2023 CHAN after defeating Algeria, the host nation, will be looking to defend their title.
CHAN plays a big role in African football. It allows local players to shine and build their careers.
