The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially brought the African Nations Championship (CHAN) to an end, announcing plans to replace the competition with a new annual African Nations League, MySportDab Reports.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed the decision during a press conference on Saturday, describing CHAN as “no longer suitable” for the future development of African football.
The biennial tournament, created exclusively for locally based players, was first launched in 2009 as a platform to showcase domestic talent across the continent.
CHAN’s final edition was staged last August, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with Morocco emerging champions. The North Africans secured their third title to become the most successful nation in the competition’s history, having previously won the tournament in 2018 and 2020.
Ivory Coast hosted the inaugural edition in 2009, where DR Congo lifted the trophy. Tunisia followed as champions in Sudan in 2011, before Libya claimed the title at the 2014 tournament hosted by South Africa. Rwanda staged the 2016 edition, which saw DR Congo win their second CHAN crown.
Morocco hosted the 2018 championship and won on home soil, before successfully defending their title two years later in Cameroon, further cementing their dominance in the competition.
CAF has yet to release full details of the African Nations League, but Motsepe explained that the new annual tournament is designed to better align with CAF’s long-term vision, improve competitiveness, and provide more consistent opportunities for players and national teams.
The announcement marks the end of a 15-year era for CHAN, a competition that played a significant role in spotlighting home-based African players and strengthening domestic leagues.
As CAF turns the page, attention now shifts to how the African Nations League will reshape the continent’s football calendar and impact player development going forward.
