By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Juba Stadium will host the upcoming 2024 CHAN Championship zonal qualifiers between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
This match will reignite the historic football rivalry between the two nations, marking their first official clash since a friendly in Asmara in August 2018.
Eritrea has not participated in a qualification match since January 2020, while Ethiopia’s last appearance was in the same year. The winner of this series will advance to face either Sudan or Tanzania in the final qualifying round.
Given the recent political history between Eritrea and Ethiopia, this fixture is expected to be a highly charged affair. The first match will be played on Thursday, October 31st in Juba, with the return leg scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd.
The CHAN Championship is a competition organized by CAF for players who play their professional games within their respective countries.
The tournament will be cohosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Uganda is the most successful team in the CECAFA region, having qualified for CHAN six times since 2009.
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) has confirmed that the match will be played at the newly renovated Juba Stadium, which has a capacity of over 7,000. The association has stated that preparations are underway to ensure a memorable experience for fans.