African Nations Championship

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Not to be confused with Africa Cup of Nations.
"CHAN" redirects here. For the Canadian TV station, see CHAN-DT. For other uses, see Chan (disambiguation).

African Nations Championship
African Nations Championship official logo.png
Founded2009; 13 years ago (2009)
RegionAfrica (CAF)
Number of teams16
Current champions Morocco (2nd title)
Most successful team(s) Morocco
 DR Congo
(2 titles each)
Television broadcastersStarTimes
Websitewww.cafonline.com
2022 African Nations Championship
Tournaments

The CAF African Nations Championship (French: Championnat d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as African Championship of Nations, CHAN, or Total African Nations Championship for sponsorship reasons) is a football tournament which was first announced on 11 September 2007.[1] It is administered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is played between the best national teams of Africa, exclusively featuring players who are active in the national championships and qualified to play in the ongoing season. Expatriate players, regardless of where they play, even in Africa, are not qualified to take part in the tournament.

The first tournament was held in 2009. It was hosted by Ivory Coast and won by DR Congo. The competition was expanded to 16 teams for the second tournament, held in Sudan in 2011.[2][3] The tournament was won by Tunisia, in the wake of the Tunisian Revolution.[4]

The tournament is now held every two years,[5] alternating with the Africa Cup of Nations.

History[]

The "Leopards" welcomed by a cheering crowd as they arrive at Ndjili airport after winning the African Nations Football Championship.

In 2007, the Confederation of African Football decided to create a new tournament to give local African players the opportunity to showcase their talent at the international level. By allowing only those who play in the national leagues to take part in the competition, CAF also aims to improve the quality of national leagues.[6]

The creation of the African Nations Championship was a response to the desire to revive or strengthen national competitions regularly weakened by a mass exodus of top players who leave their home countries to play for foreign teams which will pay more and get them more media coverage. Starting from the 2014 edition onwards, all of the matches are recognized by FIFA as first team matches.[7][8]

On 8 March 2009, Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Ghana 2–0[9] to become the first winner of the tournament.

Eight teams participated in the first edition of African Nations Championship. That number doubled to 16 in 2011. To avoid clashing with the Total Africa Cup of Nations, the African Nations Championship switched to even-numbered years in 2014.

Sponsorship[]

In July 2016, Total secured an eight-year sponsorship package from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to support 10 of its principal competitions.[10] Due to this sponsorship, the African Nations Championship is named "Total African Nations Championship".

Qualifying[]

The eight tournament spots, for the first edition in 2009, were allocated the following way:

  • One each for North Zone, Zone West A, Zone West B, Centre Zone and Central-East Zone
  • Two for the Southern Zone
  • One for the host country of the final tournament[11]

Since the second edition, in 2011, 16 teams qualify for the tournament, allocated this way (including host country):

  • 2 each for North Zone and Zone West A
  • 3 each for Zone West B, Central Zone, Central-East Zone and Southern Zone[12]

Tournament format[]

The group stage of the African Nations Championship features pools of four teams drawn at random. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.

Results[]

Edition Year Hosts Champions Score and Venue Runners-up Third place Score and Venue Fourth place No. of teams
1 2009  Ivory Coast
DR Congo 		2–0
Ghana
Zambia 		2–1
8
2 2011  Sudan
Tunisia 		3–0

1–0
Algeria 		16
3 2014  South Africa
Libya 		0–0
(4–3 pen.)
Ghana
Nigeria 		1–0
16
4 2016  Rwanda
DR Congo 		3–0

2–1
16
5 2018  Morocco
Morocco 		4–0
Nigeria
1–1
(4–2 pen.)
Libya 		16
6 2020  Cameroon
Morocco 		2–0

2–0
16
7 2022  Algeria To be played To be played 16

Summaries[]

Map of countries' times titles as of 2021.
Team Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
 Morocco 2 (2018, 2020) – – –
 DR Congo 2 (2009, 2016) – – –
 Libya 1 (2014) – – 1 (2018)
 Tunisia 1 (2011) – – -
 Ghana – 2 (2009, 2014) – –
  – 2 2016, 2020 – –
 Nigeria – 1 (2018) 1 (2014) –
  – 1 (2011) – –
  – – 2 (2011, 2018) –
  – – 1 (2020) 1 (2016)
 Zambia – – 1 (2009) –
  – – 1 (2016) –
  – – – 1 (2009)
 Algeria – – – 1 (2011)
  – – – 1 (2014)
  – – – 1 (2020)

* hosts.

Champions by region[]

Federation (Region) Champion(s) Number
UNAF (North Africa) Morocco (2), Libya (1), Tunisia (1) 4 titles
UNIFFAC (Central Africa) DR Congo (2) 2 titles
WAFU (West Africa) None 0 titles
CECAFA (East Africa) None 0 titles
COSAFA (Southern Africa) None 0 titles

Hat-tricks[]

Given Singuluma, the first player to score a hat-trick at the tournament.

A hat-trick is achieved when the same player scores three or more goals in one match. Listed in chronological order.

Sequence
 Player No. of
goals 		Time of goals Representing Final
score 		Opponent Tournament Round Date
1. Given Singuluma 3 36', 49', 50'  Zambia 3–0   2009 Group stage 22 February 2009
2. Chisom Chikatara 3 75', 81', 90'  Nigeria 4–1   2016 Group stage 18 January 2016
3. Ayoub El Kaabi 3 27', 65', 68'  Morocco 3–1   2018 Group stage 17 January 2018

Participating nations[]

Team Ivory Coast
2009 		Sudan
2011 		South Africa
2014 		Rwanda
2016 		Morocco
2018 		Cameroon
2020 		Algeria
2022 		Years
 Algeria • 4th × × • • Q 2
  • 2nd GS QF 3
  • • GS GS GS 3
  • • GS 1
  • QF • QF GS 4th 4
  • × GS QF QF 3
 DR Congo 1st QF QF 1st • QF 5
  GS GS 3rd GS 4
  × × GS 1
  × × GS GS 2
  • GS QF GS 3
 Ghana 2nd GS 2nd 3
  • • 4th GS 3rd 3
 Libya GS • 1st • 4th GS 4
  • GS QF 2nd 2nd 4
  • × GS GS 2
 Morocco • • QF GS 1st 1st 4
  • • GS 1
  • • QF GS 2
  • QF GS GS 3
 Nigeria • • 3rd GS 2nd • 3
  • GS QF GS QF 4
  4th GS 2
  • QF GS 2
  • 3rd 3rd 2
  GS • GS 2
  • • GS 1
 Tunisia • 1st • QF × •• 2
  • GS GS GS GS GS 5
 Zambia 3rd • • QF QF QF 4
  GS GS 4th GS • GS 5
Total 8 16 16 16 16 16 16
Legend

Records and statistics[]

Main article:

General statistics by tournament[]

Year Hosts Champions (titles) Winning coach Top scorer(s) (goals) Most valuable player
2009  Ivory Coast  DR Congo (1) Democratic Republic of the Congo Mutumbile Santos Zambia Given Singuluma (5) Democratic Republic of the Congo Trésor Mputu
2011  Sudan  Tunisia (1) Tunisia Sami Trabelsi Algeria El Arbi Hillel Soudani (3)
South Africa Myron Shongwe (3)
Sudan Mudather Karika (3)
Tunisia Zouheir Dhaouadi (3)
Tunisia Salema Gasdaoui (3) 		Tunisia Zouheir Dhaouadi
2014  South Africa  Libya (1) Spain Javier Clemente South Africa Bernard Parker (4) Nigeria Ejike Uzoenyi
2016  Rwanda  DR Congo (2) Democratic Republic of the Congo Mutumbile Santos Democratic Republic of the Congo Elia Meschak (4)
Nigeria Chisom Chikatara (4)
Tunisia Ahmed Akaïchi (4) 		Democratic Republic of the Congo Elia Meschak
2018  Morocco  Morocco (1) Morocco Jamal Sellami Morocco Ayoub El Kaabi (9) Morocco Ayoub El Kaabi
2020  Cameroon  Morocco (2) Morocco Hussein Ammouta Morocco Soufiane Rahimi (5) Morocco Soufiane Rahimi

Highest goalscorers in a single tournament[]

The following players finished as top goalscorer with five or more goals in a single tournament.

Goals Player(s) Nation(s) Year
9 Ayoub El Kaabi  Morocco 2018
5 Soufiane Rahimi  Morocco 2020
Given Singuluma  Zambia 2009

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "New tournament for Africa". BBC Sport. 11 September 2007.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Sannie, Ibrahim (28 February 2009). "CAF plans to expand CHAN". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  3. ^ "CAF Executive Committee Decisions". Cafonline. 19 September 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Tunisia beat Angola in the CHAN final in Sudan". BBC Sport. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Ghana 'favourites' to host 2018 CHAN after WAFU Nations Cup success". social_image. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Total African Nations Championship". Football together. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  7. ^ "African Nations Championship in Rwanda gives domestic talent a chance". The Guardian. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Nigeria 'do not have A and B teams' says Oliseh ahead of Nations Championship". The National. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  9. ^ "DR Congo lift CHAN trophy". BBC Sport. 8 March 2009.
  10. ^ AfricaNews (18 April 2017). "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africanews. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  11. ^ "New Competition launched : African Championship of Nations". CAF Online. 11 September 2007. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links[]

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