FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and Madagascar president to grace CHAN finals in Nairobi
By Luke Oluoch, August 29, 2025FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, his CAF counterpart Patrice Motsepe, and the president of Madagascar are among the delegation of high-profile people set to grace the finals of the 2024 African Nations Championship on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Sports CS Salim Mvurya on Friday, August 28, 2025, confirmed the pair will be among the visitors drawn from across the world as the curtain falls on the eighth edition of the biennial competition soccer bonanza co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Dignitaries
‘Tomorrow’s game has attracted the entire continent, and so we expect high-level dignitaries, including the presidents of FIFA and CAF and their delegations. We will also expect the head of state from Madagascar and a high-level delegation from the country,” he stated.
The visit to Kenya will be a maiden one for the president, who rose to the FIFA top job in 2016.
The Swiss-Italian was later re-elected unopposed as president of football’s world governing body in 2019, in an election in which he was prominently backed by Africa and the Confederation of African Football.
Other than Tanzania, Infantino has also been to South Sudan’s capital of Juba, where he attended a World Cup qualifying clash in May 2024.
Meanwhile, the government has confirmed preparations are in top gear ahead of the much-anticipated final.
Mvurya on Friday, August 29, 2025, confirmed the itinerary for the finals in Nairobi.
According to an update from Sports CS Salim Mvurya, the closing ceremony for the final will begin at 2:00 pm with a series of entertainment events marking the closing ceremony of the edition of the CHAN games.
Mvurya says the team’s arrival will be an hour ahead of the kickoff at 6:00 pm.
Call for decorum
Meanwhile, the CS has further admonished fans to be at the stadium early for what he termed will be an eventful and colourful closing ceremony.
“Those who have tickets for the match. We advise they be here by 1:30 so that by 2 o’clock, when the ceremony begins, they can be part of it. It is going to be colorful, and I invite those with tickets,” he stated.