The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the cancellation of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), bringing an end to the tournament after years of financial challenges.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe announced the decision at a press conference held in Morocco on January 17, describing the competition as financially unsustainable.
According to Dr. Motsepe, CHAN had become a major financial burden for the continent’s football governing body. “When I became the president, the first thing I was told was to ‘kill the CHAN,’” he revealed, adding that the tournament had turned into a “spectacular money loser” despite efforts to make it viable.
He explained that while CHAN was created to promote home-based players, the competition failed to generate sufficient revenue and continued to drain CAF’s resources.
As part of a broader restructuring of African football, Dr. Motsepe announced that CHAN will be replaced by a new competition, the African Nations League, which he said would be more competitive, modern, and financially sustainable.
“The focus going forward is financial sustainability and growth,” the CAF President said, noting that the African Nations League will provide regular, high-quality competition and better align with CAF’s long-term development goals.
The cancellation of CHAN forms part of wider reforms to overhaul CAF competitions and the African football calendar. Resources previously committed to CHAN are expected to be redirected toward youth development, grassroots football, and other priority initiatives.
Dr. Motsepe also emphasized Africa’s need to assert itself within global football, calling for cooperation without external dominance. “Europe doesn’t dictate the calendar,” he said, stressing the importance of unity and independence in African football governance.
The decision marks a significant shift in CAF’s competition structure and signals a new direction aimed at strengthening the financial and competitive future of football on the continent.
