IT is all systems go as Africa will come to a complete standstill between January 11 and February 1 when the battle to crown Africa’s Home Champions gets underway.
The cream of the crop is set to shine in the third edition of this exclusive tournament set to pin the top 16 countries in Africa to battle it out in what is expected to be an eye-gripping and mouth-watering quest for the coveted CHAN trophy.
All eyes will be set on the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who have now reclaimed their pole position in African football. Sunday Mba, the Nigerian golden striker who handed his country its third AFCON cup after 19 years, will be the key man in Stephen Keshi’s youthful side that is set to have three u.17 (Kelechi Iheanacho, Dele Alamasu and Tawo Alampasu) who helped their team lift the u.17 World Cup recently.
Ghana, who is part of the five African countries to participate in this year’s World Cup, will be glad to have CHAN as their very last competitive competition to finalise their final squad. Midfield maestro, Abubakar Moro who captains Hearts of Oak, will certainly be the danger man for Ghana. Current top goal scorer in the Ghanaian Premiere League, 23-year-old Seidu Bancey, is certainly one to look out for in the Black Stars team.
2009 African Footballer of The Year locally and CHAN 2009 Player of The Tournament, Tresor Mputu, will be making his third successive appearance in the tournament. The DRC goal-poacher, who helped the Leopards to the inaugural title in 2009, will be a thorn in the flesh of the opposition of their Group B opponents at the Athlone stadium. CHAN 2014 will also bring back some familiar faces to South African football when former Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United striker, Simba Sithole makes a return with the Zimbabwean team.
However, the hosts will want to prove that they boast the strongest league on the continent when seasoned campaigners such as Siphiwe Tshabalala, Lerato Chabangu, Hlompho Kekana, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and current South African Sports Star of the year and PSL Player of The Season, Itumeleng Khune from the South, will form the nucleus of the team that represents the hosts in Group A against Mali, Nigeria and Mozambique.
The African Nations Championship has also been a launching pad for quite a number of African players who have since gone on to further their careers abroad. Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, now playing in the Series A for Udinese, has done extremely well representing Ghana in Europe. Kevin Zougoula from Ivory Coast who now excels in his team, and Dinamo Bucuresti in Romania is also a notable name that emerged in European football as a result of CHAN.
LOC CEO, Mr Mvuzo Mbebe, called upon the nation to get behind this tournament and witness these stars being launched right here on home soil.
“This is an opportunity to celebrate our very own stars that keep the football flames burning in our countries. Africa’s Home Champions are coming and we urge everyone to come out in numbers to witness the sheer brilliance and flair of pure unadulterated African football,” said Mbebe.
Orange CHAN 2014, to be hosted in South Africa from January 11 to February 1, takes place in Cape Town for Group A and B at Cape Town Stadium and Athlone Stadium respectively, and in Mangaung for Group C at the Free State Stadium, as well as in Polokwane for Group D at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.
