Tunisia has decided not to take part in the 2024 CHAN.

The Tunisian Football Federation announced the news after the stakeholders voted against playing in the tournament, which is reserved only for locally-based players.

The next edition is scheduled to take place from February 1 to 28, 2025, in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

Tunisia, the 2011 champions in Sudan, had qualified directly for the final phase within the UNAF Zone, alongside Morocco and Libya.

The North Africans’ withdrawal is due to the congested fixture schedule in their domestic league.

They become the third country to withdraw after the qualification draw, joining Eritrea and Somalia.

Twelve countries from four regions didn’t enter the competition.

These include South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Malawi, Mauritius and Seychelles – all from the Cosafa Region and UNIFFAC nations – Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe.

Two Wafu teams – Cape Verde and Guinea – and UNAF sides Algeria and Egypt complete the list.