Dar es Salaam. East African football icons Victor Wanyama (Kenya) and Mrisho Ngassa (Tanzania) have voiced strong support for the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, insisting the tournament has already begun to reshape the landscape of domestic football across the region.
For the very first time in history, CHAN has been hosted jointly by three East African countries Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The month-long competition has not only brought football fever to the region but also demonstrated the capacity of East African nations to organize a tournament of continental magnitude.
Uganda will stage the third-place playoff on Friday, while the spotlight shifts to Nairobi’s Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Saturday evening for the grand finale between two-time winners Morocco and tournament dark horses Madagascar.
A Tournament for Local Heroes
Speaking as trophy ambassadors during a media tour in Nairobi, both Wanyama and Ngassa underlined the uniqueness of CHAN, which is exclusively reserved for players featuring in their home leagues.
According to them, this structure makes the competition a direct platform for growth and exposure of local talent.
“We (East Africa) have shown that we have a good level. All three countries reached the quarter-finals and we were very competitive,” Ngassa reflected.
“This is a big step because the players have now gained international exposure, which they will carry back to their clubs. It has also sparked hunger among other players who now want to work harder and earn a chance in future tournaments.”
Football Fever Across the Region
The legendary Tanzanian attacker further stressed that CHAN has given new pride to domestic football.
Fans, he said, are beginning to appreciate the value of following their local leagues and clubs more closely.
“This tournament gives us pride in our leagues. Fans are beginning to see the value of following local clubs, and the competition has pushed everyone from players to coaches and even administrators to improve their levels. That is the real legacy of CHAN,” Ngassa explained.
Kenya’s Victor Wanyama echoed the sentiment, highlighting how stadiums across the three host nations were filled to capacity, even for games not involving the home sides.
“We have seen massive turnouts. In Kenya, for example, matches not involving the Harambee Stars still recorded very high attendances. That shows CHAN has rekindled love for football in our region. When fans come out in such large numbers, the motivation and morale of players rise tremendously. Now, the challenge is to sustain that momentum beyond CHAN,” Wanyama said.
Competitiveness on Display
The two legends praised the unpredictability of the tournament, stressing that no single team was guaranteed victory.
“Both Tanzania and Kenya topped their groups, yet it is Madagascar and Morocco, who finished second in their groups, that will contest the final. That alone shows the competition was very tough and unpredictable. No team had an easy path,” Ngassa observed.
Media Engagements and Trophy Tour
As part of their ambassadorial duties, Wanyama and Ngassa led the CHAN trophy tour across Nairobi’s leading media houses, including Citizen TV, KTN, Standard Group, and Cape Media’s TV47 and Radio47.
At each stop, the two legends emphasized the crucial role of media in promoting CHAN and amplifying its impact across East Africa.
Standard Group’s Acting CEO Chacha Mwita said: “We are delighted to host the CHAN Trophy here. Sports resonates deeply with our audience, and having this symbol in our newsroom inspires us further.”
Royal Media Services Group MD Wachira Waruru added: “It is an honour to host this trophy at our station. Football is part of our culture, and moments like this are priceless.”
At Cape Media, CEO Mwenda Njoka described the occasion as “a privilege for the station and its audience.”
Wanyama and Ngassa were later hosted on-air by renowned sports anchors Tony Kwalanda, Fred Arocho, and Duncan Mutua, offering fans an opportunity to interact directly with the legends.
The tour also made courtesy calls to national broadcaster KBC and NTV, ensuring the trophy reached millions of households across the country.
A Legacy Beyond the Tournament
With CHAN 2024 set to conclude this weekend, both Wanyama and Ngassa believe its true legacy will be measured in how well fans, players, and stakeholders harness the momentum for long-term development.
“CHAN has given us a glimpse of what is possible when we invest in our leagues and players. The next step is to ensure that this energy translates into consistent support for domestic football,” Wanyama emphasized.
For Ngassa, the challenge lies in maintaining fan enthusiasm. “We must make sure that when CHAN is over, fans still come to watch their clubs, and players continue to push themselves. If we can achieve that, then CHAN will have been more than just a tournament it will be a turning point for East African football.”
As the continent prepares for Saturday’s historic final in Nairobi, the voices of Wanyama and Ngassa capture the shared belief that CHAN 2024 is more than a championship. It is a movement one capable of inspiring a new era of growth, pride, and professionalism in East Africa’s local leagues.
