The African Nations Championship (CHAN) for locally based players has been officially discontinued by the Confederation of African Football, bringing an end to the tournament that was launched in 2009. The decision was taken by the CAF Executive Committee and confirmed on Saturday January 17, 2026, barely five months after the conclusion of the most recent edition, which was jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe announced the decision during a press briefing in Rabat, admitting that the competition had become financially unsustainable and was placing an excessive burden on the confederation. Explaining the rationale behind the move, Motsepe stated, “There will be no CHAN. There is no need for CHAN. CHAN is an event that loses a significant amount of money on a very large scale.”
Motsepe revealed that CAF is currently reviewing the structure of its competitions with a strong focus on long term sustainability, efficiency and commercial growth. According to him, the organisation can no longer justify running tournaments that consume significant resources without providing adequate financial returns for CAF and its member associations.
The abolition of CHAN represents a major shift in CAF’s competition framework and will have a direct impact on players competing in domestic leagues, many of whom previously used the tournament as a platform for international exposure and career advancement. CAF indicated that funds previously invested in CHAN will now be redirected towards strengthening existing competitions and developing new formats that align better with international calendars, including FIFA windows, while also improving revenue generation and global visibility.
CAF also confirmed that the African Nations Championship will be replaced by an annual African Nations League as part of its new strategic direction. The governing body believes the new competition model will better serve African football’s commercial and developmental objectives.
Since its introduction, CHAN was designed as a distinct competition from the Africa Cup of Nations by restricting participation to players active in their domestic leagues. Despite its developmental intentions, CAF has now concluded that the tournament no longer fits into its long term vision for African football.
Morocco emerged as champions of the final edition, held last August, and finished as the most successful nation in the competition’s history with three titles. Ivory Coast hosted the inaugural edition in 2009, which was won by DR Congo. Tunisia claimed the 2011 title in Sudan, Libya lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2014, and Rwanda hosted the 2016 edition where DR Congo secured their second crown. Morocco won the 2018 tournament on home soil and successfully defended the title in Cameroon two years later. Algeria claimed their maiden title in 2020 after defeating hosts Senegal on penalties, before Morocco triumphed again in the most recent edition, whose final was played in Nairobi.
The decision to end CHAN is expected to generate widespread debate across the continent, particularly among national associations, clubs and players who benefited from the tournament over the years.
