Co-hosts Tanzania will play Burkina Faso in the opening match of the 2025 African Nations Championship (Chan) in Dar es Salaam on August 2, the organisers announced on Friday.
The other co-hosts, Kenya and Uganda, will begin their campaigns on the following two days of the biennial tournament, which is restricted to footballers playing in their country of birth.
Kenya are guided by South African Benni McCarthy, part of the coaching staff when Erik ten Hag was Manchester United manager, and debut on August 3 against Democratic Republic of Congo in Nairobi.
Uganda, who competed in six of the previous seven Chan tournaments without ever qualifying for the knockout phase, launch their challenge against Algeria on August 4 in Kampala.
Three of the five former title-holders, DR Congo, Morocco and defending champions Senegal, are taking part. The others, Libya and Tunisia, did not enter, citing domestic fixture congestion.
Despite foreign-based stars like prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah being barred, Chan matches carry full international status and count toward the world rankings.
CAF announces TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (“Chan”) 2024 Match Schedule.
— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) June 27, 2025
➡️ Read more here: https://t.co/XsbZfNmsqB
➡️ https://t.co/ZVbiJCB8Ls#TotalEnergiesCHAN2024 pic.twitter.com/clGinLI1CD
The Chan tournament is a dress rehearsal for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the premier national team tournament in the continent, which Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will also co-host.
Fixtures (all kick-off times GMT)
Group A (Nairobi)
Aug 3: Kenya v Democratic Republic of Congo (1200), Morocco v Angola (1500)
Aug 7: DR Congo v Zambia (1300), Angola v Kenya (1600)
Aug 10: Kenya v Morocco (1200), Zambia v Angola (1500)
Aug 14: Morocco v Zambia (1400), Angola v DR Congo (1700)
Aug 17: Zambia v Kenya, DR Congo v Morocco (both 1200)
Group B (Dar es Salaam/Zanzibar City)
Aug 2: Tanzania v Burkina Faso (1700)
Aug 3: Madagascar v Mauritania (1700)
Aug 6: Burkina Faso v Central African Republic (1400), Mauritania v Tanzania (1700)
Aug 9: C.A.R. v Mauritania (1400), Tanzania v Madagascar (1700)
Aug 13: Madagascar v C.A.R. (1400), Mauritania v Burkina Faso (1700)
Aug 16: C.A.R. v Tanzania, Burkina Faso v Madagascar (both 1700)
Group C (Kampala/Nairobi)
Aug 4: Niger v Guinea (1400), Uganda v Algeria (1700)
Aug 8: Algeria v South Africa (1400), Guinea v Uganda (1700)
Aug 11: South Africa v Guinea (1400), Uganda v Niger (1700)
Aug 15: Guinea v Algeria (1400), Niger v South Africa (1700)
Aug 18: South Africa v Uganda, Algeria v Niger (both 1700)
Group D (Zanzibar/Dar es Salaam)
Aug 5: Congo Brazzaville v Sudan (1400), Senegal (holders) v Nigeria (1700)
Aug 12: Senegal v Congo (1400), Sudan v Nigeria (1700)
Aug 19: Sudan v Senegal, Nigeria v Congo (both 1700)
Quarterfinals
Aug 22: (37) Winners A v runners-up B (1400), Nairobi; (38) winners B v runners-up A (1700), Dar es Salaam
Aug 23: (39) Winners C v runners-up D (1400), Kampala; (40) winners D v runners-up C (1700), Zanzibar
Semifinals
Aug 26: Winners 37 v winners 40 (1430), Dar es Salaam; winners 38 v winners 39 (1730), Kampala
3rd place
Aug 29: Semifinals losers (1500), Kampala
Final
Aug 30: Semifinals winners (1500), Nairobi