The 2023 African Nations Championship, or CHAN for short, is being played in Algeria this January and we have our first finalist as host nation Algeria reached the title match.
The Algerian side has won all five of its matches in the tournament and they are yet to give up a goal, winning four of the games by a 1-0 scoreline before thumping Niger 5-0 in the semis. They will play Senegal or Madagascar in the final on Saturday, February 4.
The event is officially labeled as a 2022 event, but it was pushed by six months due to a scheduling backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament, which was expanded to feature 18 national teams made up exclusively of domestic-based players, is held every two years, alternating with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which also takes place every two years. Despite the squad restriction (domestic players only), CHAN matches count as full internationals for player caps as well as in the calculation of the FIFA World Rankings.
However, only 17 of the 18 teams that qualified for the 2023 event have been participating after two-time defending CHAN champions Morocco were not authorised to fly into Algeria. The issue stemmed from the tense relations and ongoing disputes between the neighboring countries which led to Algeria cutting diplomatic ties in 2021 and closing its airspace to Moroccan aircraft and air travel originating in the country.
Semifinals
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jan. 31 | Highlights | Algeria 5-0 Niger |
| Tue, Jan. 31 | Highlights | Senegal 1-0 Madagascar |
Third Place
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Feb. 3 | 19:00 / 14:00 | Niger vs. Madagascar |
Final
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb. 4 | 19:00 / 14:00 | Algeria vs. Senegal |
Why is Morocco not at CHAN 2023?
Although the Moroccan team was at the Rabat airport as late as January 13, the green light to fly into Algeria was never granted and the team did not pursue other travel options that would have circumvented the travel ban. The African Football Confederation (CAF) confirmed on January 16 that the competition format would not change without the defending champs.
On January 14, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation condemned "the malicious acts and abject maneuvers" at the CHAN opening match (Algeria vs. Libya), making note of racist chants circulated on social media aimed at Moroccans, and a "provocative and surreal speech" delivered by Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, in which he called for the liberation of Western Sahara, the subject of an ongoing dispute between Morocco and Algeria.
NO CHAN for Morocco
— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) January 13, 2023
Unable to fly to #Algeria from Aéroport Salé, two-time defending champions #Morocco have pulled out of #CHAN2023 due to political rows between both North African nations.
Algeria closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft in Aug 2021. pic.twitter.com/XjW11qBSAS
#Morocco FA boss Lekjaa: “In the presence of Infantino & Motsepe, it's really a shame for the sport, to see the Moroccan team denied a chance to fly to Algeria. We’ve been preparing for #CHAN2023 for six months and we will not be able to defend our title.” pic.twitter.com/SjdyDUCzke
— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) January 13, 2023
🎙 | Le président de la CAF sur la non-participation du Maroc à la CHAN suite au refus des autorités algériennes.
— Joueurs Marocains 🇲🇦 (@JoueursMA) January 13, 2023
« Maintenant on va avoir un gros problème pour la prochaine CAN. [...] Il y a des règles à la CAF/FIFA, pas de politique dans le football. »pic.twitter.com/m8nlkSiZbt
MORE: Updated FIFA World Rankings
What is CHAN 2023? How is it different from AFCON?
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) is a tournament established in 2009 to run biennially to help develop and promote the domestic game in Africa. It's a showcase for players based in Africa with many earning transfers to major European clubs on the back of their performances in the tournament.
The CHAN tournament differs from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in one major way, restricting team squads only to players currently plying their trade in their home country's domestic league. Therefore, for example, Riyad Mahrez is not eligible to play for Algeria, since he plays for Manchester City in England and not for an Algerian domestic club.
The first CHAN tournament in 2009 featured just eight teams. However, the competition has since expanded to 16 in 2011 and now 18 for the current edition (prior to Morocco's withdrawal).
CHAN 2023 live stream, TV channel
Global TV network beIN Sports and African network SuperSport (sub-Saharan region) hold the rights to the 2023 CHAN tournament, and will be broadcasting games in all territories where they can be accessed.
Fans in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and the United States can watch the tournament on beIN Sports channels.
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | beIN Sports | fuboTV, beIN Sports Connect |
| Australia | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| Canada | beIN Sports | fuboTV Canada, beIN Sports Connect |
| Hong Kong | beIN Sports | beIN Sports, Now Player |
All matches except one start at either 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. locally in Algeria. Below is a table showcasing how those times translate to multiple territories around the world.
| Territory | Zone | Early kickoff | Late kickoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | AEDT | 03:00 | 06:00 |
| Canada | ET | 11:00 | 14:00 |
| Hong Kong | HKT | 00:00 | 03:00 |
| India | IST | 21:30 | 00:30 |
| Malaysia | MT | 00:00 | 03:00 |
| New Zealand | AEDT | 05:00 | 08:00 |
| Singapore | SST | 00:00 | 03:00 |
| United Kingdom | GMT | 16:00 | 19:00 |
| USA | ET | 11:00 | 14:00 |
CHAN 2023 schedule, fixtures, teams
The seventh edition of the 2023 African Nations Championship hosted by Algeria kicked off on January 13, 2023 and will run through the final on February 4, 2023.
There were 18 teams qualified for the tournament, but defending champion Morocco was not permitted to travel by air to participate, and so did not send its team.
The group stage initially divided the 18 teams divided into five groups. Three of the groups featured four teams (top two advance to the quarterfinals), and the other two groups had only three teams each (only group winner advance to the quarterfinals). Despite Morocco's absence, two nations still qualified from Group C. Per tournament rules (page 28), the group tiebreakers for teams level on points were:
- Head-to-head results;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Drawing of lots.
The eight-team knockout stage is contested in single-elimination format to produce a champion, with a third-place match also taking place. Extra time and penalties will be used in case of a draw after 90 minutes.
Group stage
Group A table table
| Pos | Team | Pts | Matches | W-L-D | Goal Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Algeria-Q | 9 | 3 | 3-0-0 | +3 |
| 2. | Mozambique-Q | 4 | 3 | 1-1-1 | 0 |
| 3. | Libya-E | 3 | 3 | 1-2-0 | 0 |
| 4. | Ethiopia-E | 1 | 3 | 0-2-1 | -3 |
Note: Top two finishers advance to the quarterfinals
- Q = Qualified to quarterfinals
- E = Eliminated from contention
Group A schedule
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan. 13 | Highlights | Algeria 1-0 Libya |
| Sat, Jan. 14 | Highlights | Ethiopia 0-0 Mozambique |
| Tue, Jan. 17 | Highlights | Mozambique 3-2 Libya |
| Tue, Jan. 17 | Highlights | Algeria 1-0 Ethiopia |
| Sat, Jan. 21 | Highlights | Mozambique 0-1 Algeria |
| Sat, Jan. 21 | Highlights | Libya 3-1 Ethiopia |
Group B table
| Pos | Team | Pts | Matches | W-L-D | Goal Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Senegal-Q | 6 | 3 | 2-0-1 | +3 |
| 2. | Ivory Coast-Q | 4 | 3 | 1-1-1 | +1 |
| 3. | Uganda-E | 4 | 3 | 1-1-1 | -1 |
| 4. | DR Congo-E | 2 | 3 | 0-1-2 | -3 |
Note: Top two finishers advance to the quarterfinals
- Q = Qualified to quarterfinals
- E = Eliminated from contention
Group B schedule
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan. 14 | Highlights | DR Congo 0-0 Uganda |
| Sat, Jan. 14 | Highlights | Ivory Coast 0-1 Senegal |
| Wed, Jan. 18 | Highlights | DR Congo 0-0 Ivory Coast |
| Wed, Jan. 18 | Highlights | Senegal 0-1 Uganda |
| Sun, Jan. 22 | Highlights | Senegal 3-0 DR Congo |
| Sun, Jan. 22 | Highlights | Uganda 1-3 Ivory Coast |
Group C table
| Pos | Team | Pts | Matches | W-L-D | Goal Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Madagascar-Q | 6 | 2 | 2-0-0 | +4 |
| 2. | Ghana-Q | 3 | 2 | 1-1-0 | +1 |
| 3. | Sudan-E | 0 | 2 | 0-2-0 | -5 |
Note: The top two finishers still advance to the quarterfinals despite Morocco being prevented from traveling to the competition.
- Q = Qualified to quarterfinals
- E = Eliminated from contention
Group C schedule
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jan. 15 | ||
| Sun, Jan. 15 | Highlights | Madagascar 2-1 Ghana |
| Thu, Jan. 19 | ||
| Thu, Jan. 19 | Highlights | Ghana 3-1 Sudan |
| Mon, Jan. 23 | ||
| Mon, Jan. 23 | Highlights | Sudan 0-3 Madagascar |
Group D table
| Pos | Team | Pts | Matches | W-L-D | Goal Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mauritania-Q | 4 | 2 | 1-0-1 | +1 |
| 2. | Angola-E | 2 | 2 | 0-0-2 | 0 |
| 3. | Mali-E | 1 | 2 | 0-1-1 | -1 |
Note: Only group winner advances to the quarterfinals
- Q = Qualified to quarterfinals
- E = Eliminated from contention
Group D schedule
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jan. 16 | Highlights | Mali 3-3 Angola |
| Fri, Jan. 20 | Highlights | Angola 0-0 Mauritania |
| Tue, Jan. 24 | Highlights | Mauritania 1-0 Mali |
Group E table
| Pos | Team | Pts | Matches | W-L-D | Goal Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Niger-Q | 4 | 2 | 1-0-1 | +1 |
| 2. | Cameroon-E | 3 | 2 | 1-1-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Congo-E | 1 | 2 | 0-1-1 | -1 |
Note: Only group winner advances to the quarterfinals
- Q = Qualified to quarterfinals
- E = Eliminated from contention
Group E schedule
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jan. 16 | Highlights | Cameroon 1-0 Congo |
| Fri, Jan. 20 | Highlights | Congo 0-0 Niger |
| Tue, Jan. 24 | Highlights | Niger 1-0 Cameroon |
Knockout stage
Each of the remaining knockout matches from the quarterfinal through to the final will be single-elimination and will need to produce a winner on the day. Extra time and penalties will be used in case of a draw after 90 minutes.
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan. 27 | Highlights | QF1: Algeria 1-0 Ivory Coast |
| Fri, Jan. 27 | Highlights | QF2: Senegal 1-0 Mauritania |
| Sat, Jan. 28 | Highlights | QF3: Madagascar 3-1 Mozambique |
| Sat, Jan. 28 | Highlights | QF4: Niger 2-0 Ghana |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jan. 31 | Highlights | Algeria 5-0 Niger |
| Tue, Jan. 31 | Highlights | Senegal 1-0 Madagascar |
Third Place
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Feb. 3 | 19:00 / 14:00 | Niger vs. Madagascar |
Final
| Date | Time (GMT / ET) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb. 4 | 19:00 / 14:00 | Algeria vs. Senegal |
CHAN champions all-time: List of winners in history
The CHAN tournament has been held biennially since 2009, now in its seventh edition.
Morocco and DR Congo have each won the tournament twice, jointly the most successful teams in its brief history.
| Year | Host Nation | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Ivory Coast | DR Congo |
| 2011 | Sudan | Tunisia |
| 2014 | South Africa | Libya |
| 2016 | Rwanda | DR Congo |
| 2018 | Morocco | Morocco |
| 2021 | Cameroon | Morocco |
| 2023 | Algeria | TBD |
