The TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 has been as much a story of fans as it has been of football. While stadiums across Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala have filled to capacity, fan zones set up across East Africa have emerged as a vibrant symbol of the region’s rekindled love for domestic and continental football.
The four-week competition has been a celebration of unity, passion and identity across East Africa.
From the roaring stadiums to the buzzing fan zones, the competition has sparked a wave of enthusiasm for domestic and continental football not seen in the region for decades.
Even as all three co-hosts — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — exited at the quarter-final stage, their fans continued to flock in their thousands to giant screens erected in cities, towns and coastal venues, turning public spaces into mini-stadiums that matched the electricity of the actual arenas.
Fan zones become cultural epicentres
From Nairobi’s bustling central business district to the breezy amphitheatre on the shores of Lake Victoria in Homabay, fan zones have emerged as cultural epicentres.
Thirteen such zones were set up across the Kenyan capital alone, drawing families, students and workers who gathered after hours to watch the drama unfold on giant screens.
“This is better than watching alone at home. The energy here is electric. You can feel like you are part of something big,” said one supporter at the popular Kenya National Archives fan zone.
Nicholas Musonye, chairman of the TotalEnergies CHAN 2024 Local Organising Committee, hailed the success of the initiative: “This was a brilliant idea to ensure that all Kenyans felt like a part of the action. It has been a huge success and all those who were not lucky to get tickets now feel the same passion as those in the stadium.”
The atmosphere was not confined to Kenya. In Dar es Salaam and Kampala, fan parks attracted massive crowds as supporters of the Taifa Stars and Cranes rallied behind their teams.
Music, dance and food stalls turned the gatherings into festivals, reinforcing CHAN 2024 as both a sporting and cultural event.
Hosts fall short but leave a legacy
On the pitch, the co-host nations made history by reaching the last eight together for the first time in any CAF competition. Kenya, debutants at the tournament, topped their group by defeating two-time champions Morocco and Zambia. Their fairytale run ended in heartbreak in the quarter-finals, when they lost to Madagascar on penalties after a 1-1 draw at a packed Moi International Sports Centre.
Tanzania also reached their first-ever CHAN quarter-final, buoyed by an unbeaten group stage. In Dar es Salaam, however, their dream was ended by Morocco, who won 1-0 thanks to Oussama Lamlaoui’s clinical finish. Despite the defeat, Tanzania’s defensive solidity and the raucous home support at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium gave the country new footballing pride.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Uganda, meanwhile, delivered their best-ever CHAN campaign, topping a group ahead of Algeria and South Africa. In the quarter-final, they pushed defending champions Senegal all the way in front of 35,000 fans at the Mandela National Stadium. The Cranes had more possession and chances but were undone by Oumar Ba’s decisive strike in the 62nd minute.
Though all three hosts bowed out before the semi-finals, their collective achievement — and the atmosphere they generated — has been hailed as a landmark moment for East African football.
A tournament beyond the stadium
The real story of CHAN 2024 may well be how it captured hearts beyond the four stands of the stadiums. Fan zones from Mombasa to Kisumu became spaces where strangers united through chants, drums and vuvuzelas.
Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga summed it up when she said: “Most of our people could not go to Nairobi to watch the match and so we thought, why not give them a chance here. The people are vibrant and supporting the team as though they are at Kasarani.”
Even in defeat, the legacy of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is secure: they showcased their footballing growth on the pitch, while off it, their fans proved that East Africa has the passion and infrastructure to embrace the continental game on a grand scale.
As the semi-finals approach, featuring Morocco, Senegal, Sudan and Madagascar, the fan parks remain packed — proof that CHAN PAMOJA 2024 has already delivered one of its greatest victories: igniting a new era of football enthusiasm in East Africa.
