Usama makes humble appeal to fans for Uganda Cranes’ support at CHAN 2024

CHAN 2024 (Uganda Cranes’ group C matches):

• Monday, 4^th August 2025: Uganda Vs Algeria – Mandela National Stadium, Namboole (8:00 PM)

• Friday, 8^th August 2025: Guinea Vs Uganda – Mandela National Stadium, Namboole (8:00 PM)

• Monday, 11^th August 2025: Uganda Vs Niger – Mandela National Stadium, Namboole (8:00 PM)

• Monday, 18^th August 2025: South Africa Vs Uganda – Mandela National Stadium, Namboole (8:00 PM)

Fans remain an important pillar to sports in varying aspects at hand.

Virtually, fans are almost everything sportsmen and women as well as teams need during competition.

They motivate, cheer-up, rally, critique, smile, laugh aloud, cry, shout, bark, advise, mobilize and contribute resources as well as lobby in different aspects.

A duel or championship without fans remains a dull project.

As East Africa hosts CHAN 2024, a precursor for the AFCON 2027 tournament, the different fans are ready and roaring to support their respective teams in the box.

Uganda Cranes forward Arafat Usama exactly understands the relevance of fans in a championship of CHAN’s magnitude.

“Fans are an added advantage. We need them” Usama, told the media at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole training ground on Tuesday afternoon.

Usama, a left footed player who features at KCCA Football Club in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League is humbled for being among the pool of players who made the 25 man final squad.

“It is a blessing to be part of the team” he smiled. “This is a result of hardwork and I am ready to give my best in the championship” he added.

Usama has set personal and team targets at the CHAN 2024 tournament.

“We are working towards qualification out of the group. Personally and team, we believe that we can make it” Usama spoke of the target.

Uganda is pooled in group C alongside two West African countries Guinea and Niger, South Africa and North Africans, Algeria.

Niger arrived first in Uganda at the Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday, 29^th July 2025.

Uganda Cranes open up the campaign against Algeria on Monday, 4^th August 2025.

The second match will be against Guinea on Friday, 8^th August.

The third game comes on Monday, 11^th August against Niger and the last group game will be against South Africa on Monday, 18^th August before the knock out round will come in.

For starters, the CHAN tournament brings together players who ply their trade in the respective domestic leagues.

Now in the 8^th edition, it will be played from from 2^nd to 30^th August 2025 across the  vibrant East African nations of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Last week on Friday, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially launched the Uganda’s Local Organizing Committee official website, logo and the team jersey for Uganda Cranes at the Kololo Ceremonial Independence Grounds, Kampala.

The history of CHAN:

Launched in 2009 and contested every two years, the African Nations Championship (CHAN) features exclusively players active in their national domestic leagues, offering a platform for emerging local talent.

The inaugural edition was won by DR Congo (beating Ghana 2-0), then Tunisia triumphed in 2011. Libya lifted the trophy in 2014 via penalties, followed by DR Congo again in 2016 to become the first two-time champion.

Morocco dominated back-to-back editions, winning in 2018 and 2020 and becoming the only nation to defend its CHAN title.

During the seventh edition, held in Algeria in early 2023, Senegal claimed their first CHAN title by defeating hosts Algeria 5-4 on penalties after a goalless final.

The upcoming eighth edition – postponed from early 2025 to 2–30 August 2025 due to infrastructure delays – marks the first time CHAN will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and the first-ever tri-nation staging, spotlighting East Africa as a footballing region on the rise.