The 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament kicks off on August 2, co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
As the excitement builds across East Africa, one man watches from the sidelines with a heavy heart, Vipers SC captain, Milton Karisa.
For Karisa, CHAN has become a tournament of heartbreak.
Now 29, the talented winger has seen the opportunity slip through his fingers not once, but twice, both times due to injury.
Back in February, when CHAN was initially rescheduled, Karisa was ruled out due to injury.
News of the tournament’s postponement must have felt like a second chance, one that reignited hope in a player who had more to give.
The first half of the 2024/25 season was rough for Karisa, plagued again by fitness struggles.
But as the second round began, he returned with purpose.
Fully fit, he played a pivotal role in Vipers SC’s domestic double, reminding everyone of the skill, pace, and leadership he brings.
His resurgence did not go unnoticed.
The Uganda Cranes technical team named him in their preliminary 41-man squad, and he featured in several training sessions.
It seemed the stars were finally aligning.
But fate had other plans.
Just weeks before the tournament, Karisa suffered yet another injury, a cruel repeat of past disappointment.
He was dropped from the final squad, and with that, his hopes of featuring at CHAN 2024 were crushed once again.
Karisa is one of the few players in the current Cranes setup with prior CHAN experience.
His leadership and big-game temperament would have been invaluable in a youthful side seeking inspiration.
Instead, Karisa finds himself watching from afar, wondering if the CHAN stage simply wasn’t meant for him.
For now, his story with the tournament remains unfinished, perhaps forever.
