The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has boosted the prize money pool of $10.4 million (approx. Rwf 20.26 billion) for the 2024 African Nations Championship which will be held in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda from August 2-30. The prize increment highlights a significant financial boost and demonstrate the organisation’s intention to raise the competition’s profile. According to CAF statement, the ultimate champions will get a whopping $3.5 million for the first time in the tournament’s history, which is a 75% increase from the $2 million awarded to the previous edition’s winners, Senegal. The runners-up will take home $1.2 million while teams in third and fourth places will take home $700,000 and $600,000, respectively. Teams who place third or fourth in their respective groups will pocket either $300,000 or $200,000, depending on their group format, while the four losing quarterfinalists will each receive $450,000. In addition, the five-team groups’ bottom-placed teams will each receive $200,000. The prize distribution is intended to honour even early-stage participation and serves all 19 participating teams. The increase in prize money, according to CAF President Patrice Motsepe, is a reflection of the federation’s continued commitment to support and fund African football at all levels. Motsepe pointed out that the CHAN, which only includes players from their home leagues, is essential for developing domestic talent and raising African nations’ level of competition internationally. “This increase in prize money will support the development of locally based players and help strengthen the global competitiveness of African football,” Motsepe said in a statement released by CAF. The competition is still “an important component of our strategy to make African football more appealing to fans, sponsors, and international broadcasters,” he continued. The first time three nations will host CHAN together is in 2024, when it will be formally known as the CAF African Nations Championship Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda 2024. It will include 19 teams, including record winners Morocco and DR Congo, defending champions Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Guinea, and Zambia. In their quest to turn domestic promise into continental triumph, coach Eric Chelle’s team will be vying for the nation’s first CHAN title.
