CHAN 2020 in Cameroon will be a separate edition

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

The draw for the sixth African Nations Championship (CHAN 2020) is scheduled for February 17 in Yaoundé. This CHAN 2020, which will take place in April (4 to 25) in Cameroon, promises to be a separate edition. Because it will serve as a test for the host country of the next African Cup of Nations. And because it takes place at a time not very favorable for African football.

Publicity

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is currently conducting a final inspection visit to Cameroon a few days before the draw for the final phase of the African Nations Championship. A draw scheduled for February 17 in Yaoundé in a somewhat strange climate.

For the first time, since the creation of this competition, it will serve as a test for a host of the next African Cup of Nations. The previous editions [1] mainly allowed countries not used to organizing big competitions to gauge themselves.

Miniature test for Cameroon

In April 2019, the African Football Confederation had seen fit to entrust the CHAN 2020 to Cameroonians, Ethiopia being unable to welcome it on time. They are thus left with a mini-CAN, the African Championship of Nations bringing fewer teams (16 against 24), fewer matches (32 against 52), fewer spectators and less media attention.

In fact, the CHAN 2020 is supposed to reveal possible flaws in the Cameroonian system, ten months before the CAN 2021 . Delays have already been noted regarding the access routes to the Japoma Stadium (near Douala).

A problematic calendar

This CHAN 2020 was also supposed to take place in January-February like the previous editions. But some sites are not ready, like Garoua, CAF wanted to postpone it in April (4 to 25). An inauspicious period since some national championships are in full swing during this month. Faced with this situation, the Tunisian Federation, for example, preferred to withdraw its A 'team.

Several specialized media have reported a (very hypothetical) outright cancellation of this CHAN 2020, the calendar therefore posing problems.

A financial question

Another problem, this competition traditionally generates little income for the organizer and CAF. The African Football Confederation, whose resources have decreased in recent months, will not be able to count on the minimum guaranteed by Lagardère Sport in terms of media and marketing revenues. CAF has indeed broken the contract with this French company which was responsible for marketing the rights to events like this CHAN 2020. This sixth edition therefore falls badly in financial terms.

[1] 2009 in Côte d'Ivoire, 2011 in Sudan, 2014 in South Africa, 2016 in Rwanda and 2018 in Morocco. The South Africans had replaced the Libyans for 2014 and the Moroccans had taken the place of the Kenyans for 2018.

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