CHAN 2020: five teams to follow in particular
During the final of CHAN 2016. AFP - CYRIL NDEGEYA
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
4 min
The sixth African Nations Championship (CHAN 2020), a competition reserved for footballers playing in their country, takes place in Cameroon from January 16 to February 7.
RFI invites you to follow more specifically 5 of the 16 teams that will compete in this “CHAN 2020”.
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Cameroon, the host country
Cameroonians are preparing to compete in the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2020) for the fourth time in six editions.
Their best performances?
Reach the quarter-finals in 2011 and 2016. It is an understatement to say that the local Lions are therefore under pressure for this first major men's football tournament organized in Cameroon since CAN 1972. Any other result than a place in the last square of "CHAN 2020"
[1]
would be a failure.
To go until the semi-final, they will be able to rely on the experience in attack of Yannick Ndjeng and Jacque Zoua, two former expatriates and boarders at the A.
DR Congo, the most successful nation
Unlike Cameroon, the DRC is used to shining at the African Nations Championship, of which it has won two editions (2009 and 2016), a record.
However, she missed the qualification for CHAN 2018 and the results of the Leopards as well as those of Congolese clubs on the continental scene have been declining for two years.
This A 'selection is therefore eagerly awaited by Congolese who have become unconditional CHAN fans.
Fans will also scrutinize the work of Florent Ibenge, the coach, who left his post at the head of the A after a disappointing CAN 2019, but who has returned to business for this final phase.
Libya, the anomaly
How to perform well in a competition reserved for players playing in the championship of their country when said national championship is regularly canceled?
It is to this insoluble equation that Libya, a nation in crisis since 2011, has yet managed to respond by being sacred in 2011 and 4th in 2018. As in Namibia and Zimbabwe, there was no league at all in 2020. The Libyans also owe their participation in this sixth edition only to the package of Tunisians who beat them in the qualifiers.
Under these conditions, can they still be the surprise team of this “local CAN”?
Morocco, the title holder
Three years ago, Morocco flew over the competition, at home.
In Cameroon, the Atlas Lions will begin the defense of their title in a group C (Togo, Rwanda, Uganda) within their reach.
Ayoub El Kaabi, top scorer (9 goals) and best player of CHAN 2018, will be the captain of a selection mixing youth and experience.
Uganda, the rising team
Uganda co-holds the record for participation (5) in CHAN, along with the DRC and Zimbabwe.
On the other hand, unlike the Congolese and Zimbabweans, the Ugandans never made it through the first round of the competition.
A frustration that the Cranes, convincing in recent years (especially during CAN 2019), hope to erase in Cameroon.
They will be led by the Northern Irishman Johnny McKinstry who knows this competition well for having led Rwanda during the CHAN 2016 at home.
[1] The African Football Confederation has decided that the competition will continue to be called TOTAL African Nations Championship Cameroon 2020, despite the tournament being postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19.
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