The 2021 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will be the 6th edition of the tournament which exclusively features players from the respective national leagues.
It was originally scheduled for 4 to 25 April 2020 in Cameroon. However, CAF announced on 17 March 2020 that the tournament had been postponed to a later date due to Coronavirus.
The tournament will now be held from January 16 to February 07 2021.
Here is a team by team guide of Group B
Group B will feature Libya, DR Congo, Congo and Niger.
Libya
Libya will be taking part in their fourth CHAN tournament.
They come into this edition as one of the few nations to have won it in the past.
Their one triumph came in the 2014 edition in South Africa on what was their second attempt.
The first was in the inaugural championships in 2029 where they finished bottom of Group B with just two points from the games.
To win in in 2014, Libya reached the knock out stages as Group C runners ups to Ghana with five points from three games.
In the quarter finals they scrapped past Gabon in the shootout to book a date with Zimbabwe in the last four, whom they also overcame on penalties.
In the final, they did the shootout trick once again, defeating Ghana 4-3 after drawing 0-0 in normal time.
Libya’s latest appearance at the CHAN finals was in Morocco 2018 where they finished fourth.
They reached the knockout stage after finishing second in group C with six points.
In the last 8, the overcame Congo on penalties before falling to eventual winners Morocco 3-1 after extra time, in the semis.
To finish fourth, The Mediterranean Knights lost to Sudan 4-2 in the third place playoff after drawing 1-1 in normal time.
In Cameroon, Libya will be under the guidance of former Benfica and Sampdoria coach Zoran Filipović who was born in Serbia.
How they qualified
Libya reached the CHAN 2021 finals on invitation after Tunisia who had eliminated them in qualifying, 3-1 on aggregate, withdrew from the tournament citing a congested domestic calendar.
DR Congo
DR Congo will be taking part in their fifth CHAN tournament.
They are the record winners of the competition having won it twice since its inception in 2009.
Their first triumph was in Ivory Coast where they beat Ghana 2-0 in the final at the 8-team tournament.
Earlier, in the groups, they had finished second in (group) B with four points before defeating Zambia 2-1 in the last four.
DRC’s second triumph was in Rwanda 2016 when they beat Mali 3-0 in the finals to win the tournament.
They had earlier finished second to Cameroon in group B with six points from three games.
The Leopards then scraped past Rwanda 2-1 in the last 8 before overcoming Guinea 5-4 on penalties in the semi finals to book their spot in the final.
In Cameroon, they will be under the guidance of former AS Vita tactician who Christian Nsengi-Biembe took over in 2019.
How they qualified
DR Congo qualified through the Central zone where they annihilated Central African Republic 6-1 in the second round of qualification, having received a bye in the first (round).
Congo
This will be Congo’s third appearance at the CHAN tournament.
Their maiden bow was in South Africa (2014), where they were eliminated at the group stage after winning one, drawing another and losing once in their three games to finish 3rd in group C.
Congo’s most recent appearance was in 2018 where they were eliminated by Libya on penalties, in the quarter finals.
They had initially topped group D with 7 points after winning two and drawing the other of their three games.
In Cameroon, Congo will be under the guidance of Brazilian born tactician Valdo Cândido de Oliveira Filho commonly known as Valdo.
How they qualified
After receiving a bye in the first round of qualification, Congo got the better of Equatorial Guinea 3-2 in the second (round) to seal a spot at this year’s final.
Niger
Niger will be taking part in their third CHAN tournament.
Their first appearance at the finals was in Sudan 2011 where they reached the quarter finals.
During the group stage, they finished second to South Africa in group B before they lost on penalties to the hosts-Sudan in the last 8.
Niger’s second appearance at the finals was in Rwanda 2016 where they failed to find their way past the group stage after finishing bottom of group C with just a single point from three games.
In Cameroon, Niger will be under the guidance of former Lille, Nimes, Algeria and Wydad Casablanca-French born coach Jean-Michel Cavalli.
How they qualified
Niger qualified for the finals via the Western B Zone where they initially received a by in the first round of qualification.
In the second round, they beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on aggregate to reach the finals’ tournament in Cameroon.
