The head coach of Uganda Cranes Paul Joseph Put has today named his provisional squad ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the CHAN tournament February 1-28^th, 2025. The tournament is exclusively for players featuring in their respective home Leagues.

Put included three U-17 players Brian Jjara, Isima Magala Mulala and striker James Bogere were part of the Uganda Cubs team that lifted the Zonal CECAFA U-17 Championship last month and qualified for the 2025 AFCON U-17.

“I believe these young players are capable and I wanted to give them an opportunity to train and compete at such a level. We have seen players at that age featuring for their senior team. This is their chance to show their abilities,” said Put who also disclosed that the team will play two International friendly matches.

This will be Uganda’s seventh time to feature in the CHAN tournament. Uganda Cranes who have never made it out of the group stage in CHAN history played in the tournament before in 2011 (Sudan), 2014 (South Africa), 2016 (Rwanda), 2018 (Morocco) and 2022 in Algeria.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Hannington Ssebwalunyo (NEC FC), Mutwalibi Mugolofa (KCCA FC), Joel Mutakubwa (BUL FC), Crispas Kusiima (Kitara FC)

Defenders: Gavin Kizito Mugweri (KCCA FC), Gideon Odongo (NEC FC), Moses Aliro (URA FC), Derrick Ndahiro (Vipers SC), Enock Walusimbi (URA FC), Arnold Odong (SC Villa), Rogers Torach (Vipers SC), Hillary Mukundane (Vipers SC), Walter Ochora (BUL FC), James Begisa Penza (URA FC), Nicholas Mwere (BUL FC), Paul Patrick Mbowa (Vipers SC)

Midfielders: Joel Sserunjogi (KCCA FC), Enock Ssebagala (NEC FC), Ibrahim Thembo (NEC FC), Emmanuel Wasswa (Express FC), Ronald Ssekiganda (SC Villa), Allan Okello (Vipers SC), Saidi Mayanja (KCCA FC), Brian Ijara (KCCA FC), Patrick Jonah Kakande (SC Villa), Isima Magala Mulala (Masaka Sunshine FC)

Forwards: Hakim Kiwanuka (SC Villa, Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Denis Omedi (Kitara FC), Jude Ssemugabi (Kitara FC), Shafik Nana Kwikiriza (KCCA FC), Paul Mucureezi (NEC FC), Isaac Ogwang (Police FC), James Bogere (Masaka Sunshine FC), Sadat Happy Anaku (KCCA FC), Charles Lwanga (SC Villa)

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the draw for the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 will take place in Kenya.

According to CAF the draw will be conducted at Kenyatta International Conventional Centre in Nairobi on January 15^th, 2025 at 20h00 local time.

The CHAN 2024 will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania between February 1-28^th.

It will be third time that the CHAN tournament uniquely reserved for African footballers plying their trade in their domestic leagues comes to the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) Zone. Sudan and Rwanda hosted the CHAN tournament before in 2011 and 2016 respectively.

Besides the hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the other teams that have so far qualified for the CHAN 2024 include; Sudan, Morocco, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, DR Congo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Madagascar, Guinea, Mauritania and defending champions Senegal.

Among the teams that have qualified for the CHAN 2024 two teams DR Congo and Morocco have lifted the trophy twice. DR Congo emerged champions in the inaugural Championship in 2009, while Tunisia came top in 2011.

In the third edition held 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa, Libya edged Ghana in the final, while DR Congo returned to win their second trophy in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda. Morocco made it back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2020, while Senegal emerged champions in 2022.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finally announced the dates for the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 to take place in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

CAF 4th Vice President Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who also serves as the Chairperson of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) organizing committee made the announcement on Monday afternoon during the press conference after the CAF Executive Committee meeting at Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi.

Njoya confirmed that the CHAN 2025 will take place February 1-28^th in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was also confirmed that the qualifiers for CHAN will kick start between October 25-27^th and end in December 2024.

The participating nations in CHAN must consist of players playing in their national Leagues competitions.

Dr. Patrice Motsepe, the CAF President said the CHAN in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will be the most successful. “CHAN for us is an incredible foundation for the Africa Cup of Nations,” added the President.

Dr. Motsepe on behalf of CAF also said he was impressed by the progress and commitment of President Ruto to Kenyan football in terms of resource allocation towards infrastructure readiness for CHAN and AFCON.

He highlighted the positivisim by most African Presidents to improve infrastructure that will help develop Football. “There is nothing that frustrates me more than a country’s national team going to play outside their country. You cannot build Football when the national teams cannot play in-front of their fans,” reasoned the CAF President.

The Press conference was also attended by Augustin Senghor (CAF 1^st Vice President), Souleiman Hassan Waberi (CAF 3rd Vice President), Seidou Mbombo Njoya (CAF 4^th Vice President), Kanizat Ibrahim (CAF 5^th Vice President), and the CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba.