As excitement builds for the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has confirmed that African football legends Hassan Wasswa, Mrisho Ngasa, and McDonald Mariga will serve as draw assistants at the official ceremony. The event is set to take place on Wednesday, 15 January, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, at 20h00 local time (17h00 GMT / 19h00 Cairo time). The draw will chart the path for the 19 qualified teams competing in the tournament, scheduled for 1–28 February 2025.
Representing the co-host nations, Wasswa, Ngasa, and Mariga embody the excellence and passion that have elevated African football on the global stage. Uganda’s Hassan Wasswa, a veteran midfielder with 75 national team appearances, made his mark in leagues across Turkey and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 2021. Tanzania’s Mrisho Ngasa, the country’s all-time leading scorer with 25 goals, dazzled fans at home and abroad with stints in South Africa and Oman. Kenya’s McDonald Mariga boasts a storied career, including a UEFA Champions League title with Inter Milan, making him a trailblazer as the first Kenyan to feature in the prestigious competition.
The draw ceremony will determine the schedule for the eighth edition of CHAN, a tournament exclusively showcasing players who compete in their domestic leagues. Co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda join defending champions Senegal and 15 other nations, including Morocco, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the prestigious event. Two additional teams will secure qualification in the coming days, completing the lineup for this highly anticipated championship.
With the participation of these iconic football figures, the draw promises to be a celebration of African talent and unity. Their legacies as players who broke barriers and set records will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of footballers across the continent. Football fans worldwide will eagerly watch as the tournament takes shape, bringing the spirit of African football to life.
