By Victor Kanayo
Equatorial Guinea will now take the spot previously occupied by Congo DR in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament, scheduled to take place in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Congo DR was disqualified due to issues with ineligible players, as determined by the disciplinary jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The team had been placed in the same group as defending champions Senegal, Sudan, and Nigeria following the draw conducted by CAF.
Congo’s Infractions
Equatorial Guinea had petitioned CAF, claiming that Congo violated regulations by failing to present valid national licences during the matches against them.
As a result, CAF ruled that the two games played on 21 and 29 December 2024 were lost by forfeiture for Congo. Consequently, Equatorial Guinea was awarded 3-0 victories for both matches.
The tournament, initially set to kick off on 1 February 2024, has now been postponed to August 2025.
