The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have officially announced the dates for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to take place from 1st to 28th February 2025.
The tournament will be hosted jointly by east African countries Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, who are also slated to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The announcement follows a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, 16th September 2024.
The first round of qualifiers for CHAN 2025 will be played on the weekend of 25-27 October 2024.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the last two editions of the competition, losing to Togo and Ghana in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
NFF’s coaching vision for Super Eagles, CHAN Eagles
With just a few weeks remaining before the qualification series starts, Nigeria are still without a head coach for the Super Eagles B team (also known as the CHAN Eagles), raising concerns over preparation.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) are currently working to appoint a coach who will manage both the Super Eagles and the B team, as outlined by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau in July. This dual role aims to strengthen the connection between the home-based players and the senior national team.
“I want to make it clear that the coach we appoint for the Super Eagles must also manage the CHAN Eagles,” said Gusau, emphasizing the need for cohesion between the two squads. However, with the resignation of Finidi George and no immediate timeline for a new appointment, the CHAN Eagles risk heading into the tournament qualifiers underprepared.
Senegal are the current holders of the CHAN title, having won in 2022 by defeating Algeria. Meanwhile, Nigeria will hope to return to past glory, following their third-place finish in 2014 and runner-up position in 2018.
