Uganda Cranes attacking midfielder Usama Arafat has admitted that their group in the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will be a tough one, but insists the team is stepping up preparations to meet the challenge head-on.
Speaking after their second non-residential training session of the week at Luzira Prison Grounds on Tuesday, Arafat said the quality of their opponents has only increased the team’s determination to train harder.
“We’ve been pitted in a very strong group, but as hosts, we’re preparing according to the toughness of the games to achieve our targeted goals,” Arafat said.
Uganda, co-hosting the tournament with Kenya and Tanzania, is drawn in Group C alongside Algeria, Niger, Guinea, and South Africa—a group packed with pedigree and CHAN experience.
The Cranes will open their campaign against Algeria, runners-up in the last edition, on August 4 at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, with kickoff set for 8 PM.
It will be a major test for a Ugandan side that has never made it past the group stage at CHAN. But with home support and a disciplined buildup under coaches Fred Muhumuza and Morley Byekwaso, the team is hopeful of breaking that pattern.
Namboole will also host one quarterfinal and a semifinal, giving fans more chances to back the Cranes on home soil.
Originally scheduled for 2024, the CHAN tournament was pushed to 2025 and will feature 19 teams, each made up of players based in their domestic leagues.
