CHAN boost for Sihlangu
MBABANE – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made changes to the format of Africa’s secondary international competition styled CHAN.
CHAN is the African Nations Championship and only national team players who play in the domestic championship of their country of origin are eligible to compete. The continental football body has announced an increase in the number of teams taking part in the CHAN from 16 to 18, from the next edition scheduled to take place in Algeria early next year.
According to information sourced from goal.com, a renowned global football site; the latest developments are said to have been communicated to the member associations after a meeting held by the CAF executive.
The North Zone will have two teams in the competition and Algeria who are the hosts, while the Southern Zone is set to have three teams as well, which is the same number given to the East Zone. Sihlangu are in the Southern Zone.
The seventh edition will be played from January 8 until the last day of the month next year. CAF has revealed the dates for the qualifiers draw and explained how the 18 teams will be pooled once they make it to the competition in North Africa.
“We hereby inform you that the qualifiers draw will be held online on May 26, 2022,” read the statement. “The 18 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams and two groups of three teams.
Knockout
“The first and second of the groups of four and the first of the group of three will qualify for the knockout stages.”
Sihlangu have never qualified for the tournament and the increase of the teams comes as a boost to their qualifying bid.
Chan is a biennial competition. The competition was started in 2009 and the first edition was held in Ivory Coast. The Democratic Republic of Congo won it after defeating Ghana 2-0 in the final. The former won it again in 2016. Morocco has also won it twice while Tunisia and Libya have managed to lift the trophy once each.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Communications and Marketing Officer Muzi Radebe said his office was yet to get a correspondence from CAF on latest developments.