CHAN 2023 will get underway today in the North African nation of Algeria, with the host nation scheduled to slug it out with neighbour Algeria at the Algiers international stadium in the country’s capital.
TheNewsGuru brings you five talking points of the 2023 edition of the tournament
ALGERIA 2023
Championnat d’Afrique des Nations (CHAN) is a CAF tournament organized yearly to promote the continent’s domestic league and by African-basedican based players.
The purpose is to organize an international competittion for African players who ply their trade in their own domestic leagues..
That means, for example, that Nigeria can’t solicit the services of Victor Osimhen and Senegal won’t be able to call upon Chelsea’s Goalkeeper Edourd Mendy.
CHAN 2022 POSTPONED TO 2023
You might be wondering why the 2022 CHAN is being played in January 2023.
Algeria 2022 was meant to hold last year but the tournament suffered postponement due to backlog in the international football calendar, with the CHAN being pushed back six month as a result.
Algiers’ Nelson Mandela stadium seats 40,784 and will host several important matches during the competition including the opening match and the final on 4 February.
It’s the first major football continental tournament held in Algeria in a long while and it’s long overdue.
This is the seventh edition but Algeria’s first time hosting. The country is unveiling a brand new football-specific stadium to mark the occasion.
GHANA AGAIN QUALIFIED AHEAD OF NIGERIA
After qualifying for the FIFA Men’s world Cup at Nigeria’s expense Ghana again qualified ahead of Nigeria for the 2022 tournament starting today in Algeria.
Despite a dramatic fight back from the home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria, it was not to be as the Salisu Yusuf-led side lost on penalties to the Black Galaxies of Ghana and miss out on qualification for the 2022 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Ghana defeated Nigeria 5-4 on penalties in the second leg of their second round qualifying tie at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja after playing a 2-2 draw.
WHY MORROCO PULLED OUT
Morocco are the two-time defending champions, but the North Africans will not participate at the tournament in Algeria over political row with the host nation.
Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) decided to withdraw – just one day before the opening ceremony.
Relations between Morocco and Algeria have been strained for many decades – due largely to the twists and turns of several different disputes over territory – but in August 2021, when Algeria broke off diplomatic ties entirely, it also closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft.
Last month, on 27 December, FRMF president and budget minister delegate Fouzi Lekjaa announced that unless the team could land directly in host city Constantine, where they would be playing their matches, on board a Royal Air Maroc flight, the Atlas Lions would pull out.
A stand-off ensued, with neither nation willing to budge. Caf also remained silent on the issue, which eventually worsened the crisis.
It was the FRMF who finally broke cover on 12 January, releasing a statement that said: “The Moroccan national team is unable to travel to Constantine (Algeria) to play the 7th edition of the African Nations Championship and defend its title insofar as the final authorisation of the Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight, official carrier of the Moroccan football team, from Rabat to Constantine has not been confirmed.”
The ramifications of the withdrawal are yet to be announced but Caf’s rulebook seems to suggest Morocco could be banned from the next CHAN.
UGANDAN AND LIBYA TOO
Uganda and Libya also threatened to withdraw from the 2023 edition of CHAN with a few days to go although not for political and legal reasons, their own excuse was largely financial reasons but their respective issues were resolved and the rest of the teams are expected to compete.
After increasing the number of participating teams to 18 the withdrawal of Morocco at the dying minute has again altered the formation and the settings of the tournament.
Now, CAF is expected to rejig its format in the tournament to give room for a smooth process in the tournament.
Group below
Groups
Group A (Algiers): Algeria, Libya, Ethiopia, Mozambique
Group B (Annaba): DR Congo, Uganda, Côte D’Ivoire, Senegal
Group C (Constantine): Sudan, Madagascar, Ghana, Morocco (withdrew)
Group D (Oran):Mali, Angola, Mauritania
Group E (Oran):Cameroon, Congo, Niger
