The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Monday announced that the trio of Hassan Wasswa, Mrisho Ngasa, and McDonald Mariga will serve as assistants for the official draw for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), Afrosport reports.
The three draw assistants have been selected from each of the co-hosts—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania—with the CHAN 2024 tournament set to take place between 1-28 February 2025.
The draw for the eighth edition of the tournament is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 15 January, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, with the ceremony expected to begin at 8 pm local time (6 pm Nigerian Time).
The three draw assistants are all African football legends who have previously plied their trades across different club sides and have left indelible marks on their respective national teams.
Wasswa played as a defensive midfielder for Uganda, earning 75 caps for the Cranes. He also had spells across Turkey and Saudi Arabia as well as for Ugandan clubs before his retirement in 2021.
Ngasa, a former Tanzania international, holds the record as the East African nation’s all-time top scorer with 25 goals and is their second most capped player. The 35-year-old played for three of the biggest clubs in Tanzania: Simba AC, Young Africans, and Azam FC.
He also played in South Africa with Free State Stars before moving to Oman, where he played for Fanja before eventually retiring with Tanzania’s Ndanda Sports Club.
Kenya’s Mariga, the older brother of the infamous Victor Wanyama, is most known for his time with Italian giants Inter Milan, where he won six titles, including the Serie A, UEFA Champions League, and two Coppa Italia wins.
The 37-year-old, former defensive midfielder, was the first Kenyan to play in the Champions League and also played in Sweden and Spain. He earned 40 caps for the Kenya national team, scoring five goals.
19 nations, including hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will be vying for the crown at the 2024 CHAN, a tournament competed in by players that play in their domestic leagues.
Full list of qualified teams for 2024 CHAN
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda (all co-hosts), Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.
***Two more teams will be confirmed for the finals.***
