Mariga, Wasswa and Mrisho to conduct 2024 CHAN draw

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President MacDonald Mariga will join Ugandan and Tanzanian football legends in conducting the draw for the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Wednesday in Kenya.

The draw for the continental showpiece, involving 19 teams, including defending champions Senegal, will kick off at 8pm at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

The eighth edition of the tournament, which will run from February 1 to 28, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

According to a communication from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mariga will be joined at the draw by Tanzanian legend and all-time top scorer Mrisho Ngasa, as well as Uganda’s football guru Hassan Wasswa.

Mariga, 37, was elected FKF Vice President during the national polls held on December 7 last year.

The former defensive midfielder made history as the first Kenyan to play in the UEFA Champions League.

During his illustrious career, he represented clubs in Sweden, Spain, and Italy, where he achieved remarkable success with Inter Milan. His accolades include a UEFA Champions League title, a Serie A trophy, two Coppa Italia wins, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2010. For the Harambee Stars, Mariga earned 40 caps and scored five goals.

Hassan Wasswa had an illustrious decade-long career with Uganda’s national team, the Uganda Cranes. He represented the Cranes 75 times and also played professionally in Turkey and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 2021.

Mrisho Ngasa, one of Tanzania’s finest players, has over 100 international appearances.

He is the nation’s leading scorer with 25 goals and is the second-most-capped Tanzanian player of all time.

Ngasa's career highlights include playing for Tanzania’s biggest clubs—Simba SC, Young Africans, and Azam FC—and stints abroad with Free State Stars in South Africa and Fanja in Oman.