With only seven days remaining, East Africa is prepared to host the eighth edition of CHAN, a biennial tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 2009, first announced in September 2007.

Participating teams must consist of players from their domestic league competitions.

Kenya’s Harambee Stars will debut in the tournament and has been placed in Group A, competing at Kasarani Stadium alongside DR Congo, Angola, Morocco, and Zambia.

Group B includes Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Tanzania.

Algeria, Niger, Guinea, South Africa, and Uganda are in Group C, with matches taking place at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, while Group D features Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan.

Ex-Kenya heroes and heroines deserve respectful treatment

According to Mathews Ottamax, the former Harambee Stars goalkeeper, the CHAN tournament presents an excellent opportunity to honor former players, who have played significant roles.

“Consider the country’s longest-serving captain and the most capped player with over 90 appearances, Musa Otieno, who was compelled to watch the Kenya vs Gabon match at Nyayo Stadium among the Ultras, where various troublemakers gather,” Ottamax stated to Flashscore.

“These former stars do not attend the stadium merely as fans; they come to analyze the games, as many are coaches who need to observe from a calm area for future reference, and they should receive improved treatment.”

Ottamax, who played for AFC Leopards and other teams in the Kenyan Premier League, continued: “If you stroll to the VVIP and VIP sections of our stadiums, you’ll be astonished to see those areas filled with ‘Gonywa Battalion’ wearing accreditation tags swinging like pendulums as they search for attending politicians, oblivious to the action on the field...some even leave without knowing the scores.

“CHAN is upon us, and with only a few days left, I humbly request that the relevant authorities recognize the importance of treating their former heroes and heroines with respect, similar to the cherished days when we were escorted to the pitches like dignitaries.

“Sadly, in foreign lands, we sang the national anthem, our eyes filled with tears, ready to fight for our country’s pride and glory...don’t you think we deserve to smile now?”

Ottamax believes that former players should be assigned various responsibilities during the tournament: “It is time for leaders in various sports departments to step up and prioritize assigning duties to former athletes whenever the country hosts tournaments, whether it’s a standalone international match or extended tournaments.

“Moreover, we need to treat our athletes with respect during matches by at least acknowledging them with VIP treatment.”

Ottamax concluded: “Ex-footballers are very humble, or simply put, orderly for lack of a better term in their approach to matters. They conduct themselves with dignity.

“This patience has been misconstrued as cowardice, resulting in our sports heroes and heroines being overlooked even in their own 'birthday parties', as is the case with the upcoming CHAN competition in just over a week across the three East African nations.

"I have yet to see 'VIP Tags for Legends' like those implemented in other countries.”

Harambee Stars will have the chance to showcase their locally based players in front of home supporters, providing a unique opportunity to connect the national team to the grassroots and domestic leagues that shape them.

Follow the African Nations Championship with Flashscore.