CHAN 2024: CAF Reveals Staggering Numbers that Prove East Africa Hosted Best-Ever Tournament

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rated the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) as the best-ever in the tournament’s history.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar have played host to the delayed 2024 edition, which will conclude with the final on Saturday, between Morocco and Madagascar.

The final is set to be witnessed by a sold-out crowd at Kasarani Stadium in what will be a conclusion to a month-long tournament that has had its ups and downs.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe says East Africa has staged the most memorable tournament given the record number of viewers and fans who turned up in stadiums and in various fan zones to watch matches.

“This is the most successful CHAN in the history of the competition,” Motsepe told the media in Nairobi on Saturday.

“I have just been told that viewership for this tournament was over 40 million while over 140,000 fans turned up in fan parks in Kanya. There was a huge interest at fan parks.”

The CAF boss says the huge numbers has vindicated his decision to bring the tournament to East Africa despite pressure from some quarters to take it away, especially when the hosting nations were behind schedule in their preparations.

“We wanted to develop and grow football in East Africa. Other countries were ready. They were saying; ‘bring it to us’ but we wanted it here and now, the infrastructure is a good base for 2027 [Africa Cup of Nations],” said the South African billionaire.

“Despite the challenges we had, the competition was a must in this region. We wanted to know which problems we could have in this region because we believe in our people and whatever challenges we may have we will fix them.”

Motsepe’s sentiments were echoed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who insisted it was necessary for East Africa to get a feel of hosting a continental tournament, after lagging behind other regions for decades.

“The perception that East African is behind the west, south and north is wrong and the investment in new stadiums is showing the commitment. We have a new federation [in Kenya] which is engaged in football and we hope we can start a national centre and academies soon,” said Infantino.

The two football bosses are in Kenya to grace the CHAN 2024 final which will bring the curtain down on the competition.