The 2024 African Nations Championship could become an East African affair, on the playing pitch, if the quarter-final results favour the three co-hosts.

Kenya will take on Indian Ocean islanders Madagascar in the first quarter-final on Friday evening at Moi international Sports Centre, Nairobi, before Tanzania hosts two-time championships Morocco in a tough looking encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam later in the night.

In the only quarter-final that will be played in the northern hemisphere, East will meet West as Uganda take on defending champions Senegal in Kampala on Saturday.

The Cranes will have to prove once again that their East Africa home is best against the West Africans. Perennial Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup campaigners Sudan will tackle 2022 losing finalists Algeria in Zanzibar in the last quarters on Saturday.

While Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are strangers at this stage, Sudan finished third in 2011 on home soil and in Morocco in 2018.

Kenya are debutants while Uganda are making their seventh consecutive appearance. Tanzania have progressed to the quarter-finals at the third time of asking.