FIFA President Gianni Infantino will travel to Nairobi this Saturday to attend the grand finale of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), organisers have confirmed.
Nicholas Musonye, Chairman of Kenya’s Local Organising Committee, announced on Wednesday that the head of world football’s governing body will serve as the chief guest at the tournament’s closing ceremony. The competition, which is reserved exclusively for players competing in their respective domestic leagues across Africa, will conclude with a thrilling encounter between two-time champions Morocco and surprise finalists Madagascar at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The curtain will come down on a tournament that kicked off on 2 August in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and has captured the imagination of football fans across the continent.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe, along with the presidents of all 54 African national football associations, is also expected to be in attendance. Kenya’s President William Ruto and senior government officials will join the dignitaries as East Africa stages its most significant continental football event in recent years.
The 2024 CHAN, originally postponed from January to August, has been regarded as a crucial preparatory step towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Motsepe, who spearheaded the decision to hold the first-ever three-nation AFCON, has hailed this year’s CHAN as a milestone in demonstrating the region’s readiness.
Despite initial doubts regarding infrastructure and organisation, the tournament has earned widespread praise, drawing record crowds and providing a platform to showcase the wealth of talent within African domestic football.
With global football leadership converging in Nairobi, Saturday’s final is set to mark a historic moment for East African football.
