East Africa is set to make football history as the 8th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) kicks off this Saturday, 2nd August 2025, with a record $10.4 million (UGX 38.6 billion) prize pool on offer.
A massive 3.5 USD million awaits the tournament champion – the highest ever awarded in CHAN history – representing a 75% increase from the previous edition and half of what AFCON champions Ivory Coast earned earlier this year.
The runner-up will bag 1.2 USD million; third place earns 700,000 USD and the fourth-placed team takes home 600,000 USD. Quarter-finalists who fall short of the semis will not go empty-handed, as they’ll each receive 450,000 USD.
Teams finishing third in their groups will walk away with 300,000 USD, while fourth and fifth-placed teams will earn 200,000 USD apiece – a clear demonstration of CAF’s growing commitment to rewarding local talent across all stages.
Staggering Growth Since 2009
When CHAN debuted in 2009, the total prize fund was only 3.25 USD million. Back then, winners DR Congo earned 750,000 USD , and runners-up Ghana received 400,000 USD . For years, that structure remained unchanged until 2018 when host nation Morocco, after replacing Kenya, earned 1.25 USD million for lifting the trophy.
CHAN 2023 in Algeria marked a turning point, boosting the total prize money to 7.9 USD million, with Senegal receiving 2 USD million as champions. Now, the 2025 edition raises the bar once again, both in financial scale and prestige.
19 Nations, 4 Cities, 5 Stadiums, 1 Goal
A total of 19 teams will compete across four cities and five stadiums – in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar City (Tanzania), Kampala (Uganda), and Nairobi (Kenya) – making it the most logistically ambitious CHAN to date.
The opening match will be held at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania, where the hosts will take on Burkina Faso in a thrilling Group A opener.
A Tournament of Champions
Since its inception, CHAN has crowned five different champions:
DR Congo (2009, 2016)
Morocco (2018, 2020 – the only back-to-back winner)
Tunisia (2011)
Libya (2014)
Senegal (2022)
This year’s winner will not only lift the trophy but also cement their place in history with a life-changing financial reward.
