Ghana to face Nigeria in qualifying for CHAN 2024

Ghana will face Nigeria for a place at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after the West African rivals were paired together at the qualifying draw on Wednesday.

The sides also met ahead of the 2022 finals, with Ghana qualifying via a penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.

The 42 entrants for the 2024 tournament, which is for domestic-based players on the continent, have been split into six regional zones.

Five of the zones will provide three qualifiers each but the Cecafa region has been handed a fourth space because Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will all be involved in the preliminaries despite qualifying automatically as joint hosts.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) says the team "achieving the best result in the Cecafa qualifiers" will advance.

As a result the finals, which will be held from 1-28 February next year, will feature 19 teams - an increase on the 18-team 2022 edition.

The format of the tournament is yet to be announced.

The two rounds of regional qualifiers will take place on a home-and-away basis, with the second round ending on 27-29 December.

Two-time winners Morocco, 2011 champions Tunisia and 2014 winners Libya are the only entrants from the North African region, so are all guaranteed a place at the finals.

CHAN holders Senegal will face either Sierra Leone or Liberia in the second round of qualifying.

Caf has increased the prize money from the previous edition by 60%, with the winners of the 2024 finals set to receive $2m (£1.53m).

The staging of the 2024 CHAN finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is being seen as a test event before the East African neighbours host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Western Zone A first round

Sierra Leone v Liberia

Western Zone A second round

Sierra Leone or Liberia v Senegal

Mauritania v Mali

Guinea v Guinea-Bissau

Western Zone B first round

Togo v Benin

Western Zone B second round

Togo or Benin v Niger

Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso

Ghana v Nigeria

Central Zone

Equatorial Guinea v Congo-Brazzaville

Central African Republic v Cameroon

Chad v DR Congo

Central Eastern Zone first round

Burundi v Somalia

Ethiopia v Eritrea

Sudan v Tanzania

South Sudan v Kenya

Djibouti v Rwanda

Central Eastern Zone second round

Burundi or Somalia v Uganda

Ethiopia or Eritrea v Sudan or Tanzania

South Sudan or Kenya v Djibouti or Rwanda

Southern Zone first round

Zimbabwe v Eswatini

Lesotho v Namibia

Southern Zone second round

Zimbabwe or Eswatini v Madagascar

Lesotho or Namibia v Angola

Mozambique v Zambia

The first round of qualifiers will take place from 25-27 October and 1–3 November, with the second round scheduled for 20-22 December and 27-29 December.

Source: BBC