The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially announced on Saturday, January 17, the discontinuation of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), an international competition reserved for players competing in domestic African leagues.

The decision was made public by Patrice Motsepe, President of CAF, during a press conference held on the sidelines of the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Rabat. According to him, CHAN, created in 2009 to promote local talent, has become “a financial drain” and no longer aligns with the strategic vision of the continental governing body.

“Our job is to make decisions that are in the best interest of African football. CHAN is a spectacle that causes us to lose money,” Patrice Motsepe said, adding that the competition no longer fits within CAF’s current priorities.

Towards a new continental competition

CAF indicated that CHAN will be replaced by a new African Nations League, an annual competition expected to bring together the 54 member associations through zonal phases followed by a final stage. This reform is part of a stated effort to restructure the African football calendar and optimize the confederation’s financial and organizational resources.