South Africa, Algeria qualify to join Uganda’s CHAN group

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Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia

Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic

Group C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Algeria, South Africa

Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria

The Uganda Cranes now know all their opponents in Group C for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is set to take place from 2 to 30 August in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Uganda will face Algeria, South Africa, Guinea, and Niger in what promises to be a highly competitive group.

The final two teams—South Africa and Algeria—secured qualification over the weekend.

Uganda had already been drawn alongside Guinea and Niger in January, while awaiting the outcomes of the remaining qualifiers to complete the group.

South Africa booked their place with a dramatic 2-0 victory over Malawi at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

After losing the first leg 1-0, Bafana Bafana overturned the deficit with goals from Victor Letsoalo and Neo Billy Maema.

Maema, who captained the side, scored the decisive goal late in the match following a strong performance.

The result saw South Africa advance 2-1 on aggregate and qualify for CHAN, a tournament that features only players who compete in their respective domestic leagues.

Algeria confirmed their qualification with a commanding 3-0 win over Gambia in Annaba.

Rising star Adil Boulbina netted twice after Abderrahmane Meziane opened the scoring early in the second half. The aggregate score stood at 3-0 following a goalless first leg in Bakau.

Gambia’s preparations were hampered by travel difficulties, arriving in Algeria only on the morning of the match. Algeria took full advantage of their home conditions and form to secure their place at CHAN 2025.

Uganda is preparing for its seventh consecutive appearance at CHAN, having featured in every edition since 2011.

However, the Cranes have never progressed beyond the group stage—an obstacle coach Paul Put and his team will be keen to overcome this time.

In the last edition in 2022, Uganda narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout rounds after a 3-1 defeat to Ivory Coast. The Cranes had entered their final group match needing only a draw, but suffered a late collapse.

Despite consistent qualification, Uganda’s CHAN record remains underwhelming, with only 13 goals scored and 27 conceded across six tournaments. Improving this track record is a major objective for the 2025 campaign.

The 2025 CHAN was postponed from February to August due to delays in host preparations. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania will now co-host the competition, with Uganda confirming its readiness earlier this year.

The Ugandan government has committed $13m (approximately sh48b) to the event, and venues including Namboole, Kyambogo University, FUFA Kadiba, and Muteesa II Stadium have undergone upgrades to meet CAF standards.

To facilitate travel during the tournament, the host countries have proposed a special “PAMOJA Visa”, allowing fans, officials, and journalists to move freely between the three nations.

East African citizens will continue to use national IDs or passports as per existing arrangements.