At one point in the ongoing Africa Nations Championships (2024), Kenya could rekindle its rivalry with Tanzania in the East African derby as the two nations find each other on a confrontational path to the title.

Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars now sit on top of Group A following resounding performances against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Morocco, where they secured a 1-0 win, a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 win respectively. 

Kenya’s 1-0 win against Morocco on Sunday, August 10, was the East African country’s most notable of the tournament, given the calibre of their opponents. As per the latest FIFA ranking, the Atlas Lions are ranked number 1 in Africa and are the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Many had tipped Morocco, two-time CHAN winners, to top Group A; however, Kenya has exhibited commanding performances since the tournament began, including that win against Morocco on Sunday.

Kenya now sits top of Group A with seven points, followed by Angola with four, Angola having beaten Zambia 2-1 at the Nyayo National Stadium. Should Kenya secure top spot and Tanzania finish second, the possibility of the two East African Community (EAC) countries meeting in the quarter finals becomes all too real.

Standings provided by Sofascore

However, the Taifa Stars are on red-hot form themselves in the group stage, securing three wins out of three games in Group B to secure qualification in the knockout stages. 

They opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso, edged past Mauritania 1-0, and wrapped up the group stage with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Madagascar.

The wins earned them a maximum nine points, securing first place in Group B and leaving them awaiting confirmation of their knockout-stage opponents.

Standings provided by Sofascore

Under the CHAN 2024 format, the top two teams from each group advance to the knockouts. The Group A winner faces the Group B runner-up, while the Group B winner meets the Group A runner-up. Likewise, the Group C winner plays the Group D runner-up, and the Group D winner takes on the Group C runner-up.

Friday, August 22

Saturday, August 23

Because both Kenya and Tanzania could likely top their groups, Kenya’s final position in Group A yet to be confirmed, the two countries would not meet each other in the quarter finals, though Kenya could enjoy home comforts again as they’d play their quarter final in Nairobi.

Should Kenya and Tanzania win their quarter-final matches, they would proceed to the semi-finals. According to Olympics.com, they would not meet each other again as the matches would be structured like this:

August 26

This leaves with the third-place play-off and the finals, set to be held on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30.

Should Kenya and Tanzania lose their semi-final matches, they would face each other in the third-place match set to be held in Kampala, Uganda. Here, whereas a third-place finish is up for grabs for the winner, this would be a battle for bragging rights on who has been the better football team overall and in this tournament.

However, should Kenya and Tanzania win their semi-final matches, they would meet in the final to be held in Nairobi, Kenya. This would be arguably the biggest game in the East African region, as not only would they compete for bragging rights, they would also battle for the CHAN 2024 title.

Friday, August 29

Saturday, August 30

President William Ruto has promised a Ksh600 million payout to the Harambee Stars squad if they go all the way and win the tournament. Tanzania President Samia Suluhu promised a staggering Tsh1 billion (Ksh51 million) reward, to be shared among the players and technical bench, if they bring home the CHAN trophy.

Beyond sports, Kenya and Tanzania have often clashed, especially on social media, over various issues. A recent flashpoint was Tanzania’s decision to ban foreigners, including Kenyans, from participating in certain business activities.

The Tanzanian government also faced backlash in May after deporting several prominent Kenyans from the country.

Following their match against Morocco, the Harambee Stars will wrap up their group-stage campaign against Zambia on Sunday, August 17.