Published on August 1, 2025 by Kariuki Mwangi
Last Updated on 10 months by Kariuki Mwangi
The long wait is finally over. It is now all systems go as the delayed African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024) is set to kick off on Saturday, 2 August, and run until 30 August 2025. Kenya which hosts group A of Chan will open its campaign on Sunday August 3rd against the DRC Congo at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani as Morocco plays Angola in the other group match to be played at Nyayo National Stadium.
Ahead of the African continental football showpiece CHAN, which is a men’s football competition reserved for players active in their countries’ domestic leagues, calls have been made to Kenyans to fill up the stadiums and cheer the national team Harambee Stars while avoiding political disillusionment in the space of the unifying factor which sports provides.
Speaking in Nairobi, Edwin Kuria, a sports entrepreneur who runs Africa Sportive Talang’ a sports agency dealing with development of sports activities and infrastructure, said that football being a non partisan and non political activity should bring the country together and warned political leaders against using the competition to divide people along political and ethnic lines.
Kuria is also the Chairman of the Kumi Bila Break movement, a group that supports the government under the leadership of President William Ruto and has been at loggerheads with impeached former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua over political alienation of various regions as well as reports that Gachagua’s supporters might be planning to use the Chan competition to heckle other political leaders.
Under the FIFA and CAF rules of engagement internationaly, football and sports is general should be apolitical and political interference puts the host country at the risk of sanctions from the governing bodies which means that if people turn the stadium into a political gallery, the national team might end up playing in empty stadia or even worse get banned.
Kuria expressed concerns over social media reports which indicate that some politicians have planned to fuel hostilities during the matches with anti government chants of One term commonly translated as Wantam and pro government chants of two terms for the President.
According to Kuria, the political intolerance would stand in the way of talented footballers who have a real chance of showcasing their talent at the big stage and potentially strike their big career break through.
“Our young men stand a big chance to showcase their talent and politics would mean that they stand the risk of losing that opportunity big opportunityto showcasetheir talent. Chan is purely meant for players in local leagues which is a golden opportunity for our young players to be noticed,” Kuria warned.
Offering an example of Aldrine Kibet who recently joined Spanish La Liga side Celta Vigo, Kuria reminded Kenyans that the young Kibet is bound to eke a living out of football after he was scouted from the secondary school games and finally moved to Nastic academy abroad before breaking into the La Liga.
Kenya U20 team captain Amos Wanjala is yet another example of how talent can spur growth after the young defender was identified at the school games and his talent nurtured. He is currently plying his trade at his club Athletic Club Torrellano CF in Spain.
“We have visitors who look up to us let us so for once let us keep our dirty linen within the bedroom and sports our team without undue political theatrics. After Chan we can go back to our Wantam and Tutam politics but for now, let us all rallying behind our team,” Kuria added.
The Nairobi based businessman who also run’s a sports enterprise pointed out that sports being a global multi billion dollar industry employs more youths than any other sector and Kenya cannot afford to politic with a tournament of such magnitude.
During theChan tournament, thousands of youths have been directly employed as service providers volunteers and numerous other roles while the economy is set to thrive with booming business in the transport, hotel and hospitality industries.
A section of politicians have been accused of planning to purchase bulk tickets for Chan which will allegedly be distributed to supporters with an aim to cause disruption during the matches chanting political slogans.
However, CAF has clarified that all tickets will be sold online and that no physical tickets will be available at the gates.
