Ngassa, Wasswa, and Mariga confirmed as CAF CHAN 2024 draw assistants

Dar es Salaam. With two days remaining before the African football governing body (CAF) conducts the official draw for the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 finals, three legends from co-hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have been confirmed as draw assistants.

The draw will be held on January 15, 2025 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, at 8 PM East African Time.

Former Young Africans (Yanga) and Tanzanian national football team striker Mrisho Ngassa, Uganda’s Hassan Wasswa, and Kenya’s McDonald Mariga will assist in conducting the draw for the eighth edition of the competition, set to take place between February 1–28, 2025.

A total of 19 nations, including co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as defending champions Senegal, will be involved in the draw to officially map out the tournament’s month-long schedule.

Ngassa, Wasswa, and Mariga have significantly contributed to the rising standards of African football and have left an indelible mark on the game in their respective countries.

Tanzania’s Mrisho Ngassa is regarded as one of the finest players to emerge from the East African nation. With 100 international appearances, Ngassa is the second most capped Tanzanian player of all time and the country’s leading scorer, with 25 goals.

Starting his career in 2005, Ngassa also played for Simba SC and Azam FC. Internationally, the former striker had stints with Free State Stars in South Africa and Fanja in Oman before retiring at Tanzania’s Ndanda Sports Club.

Mariga enjoyed a stellar career that included a UEFA Champions League title with Inter Milan, as well as Serie A and two Coppa Italia triumphs. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2010.

The former defensive midfielder was the first Kenyan to play in the UEFA Champions League and also represented clubs in Sweden and Spain. Mariga earned 40 caps for the Kenya national team, scoring five goals. He is the older brother of Kenyan football legend Victor Wanyama.

Wasswa’s national team career spanned over a decade, during which he became a stalwart of Ugandan football. Representing the Cranes 75 times, the defensive midfielder also played professionally in Turkey and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 2021.

In addition to Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, other nations set to participate in the event include Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

The list also features the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Angola, and Madagascar. Two additional teams will be confirmed for the finals.