The COSAFA region will be well-represented at the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) that starts in Morocco on Saturday with three representatives who will all have their eye on the top prize.

Angola, Nambia and Zambia have come through the qualifiers to fly the flag for Southern Africa, with two of those in the same first round group at the finals.

Zambia and Namibia have been paired in Group B alongside Ivory Coast and Uganda in what will be a tough test of their credentials in the competition.

Namibia open their campaign against the Ivorians on Sunday, before meetings with Uganda (January 18) and Zambia (January 22).

Zambia start against the Ugandans, also on Sunday, and also have a fixture against the Ivorians on January 18.
Angola are in Group D and have fixtures against Burkina Faso on Tuesday, as well as Cameroon (January 20) and Congo-Brazzaville (Jahuary 24).

Group A features hosts Morocco, Mauritania, Guinea and Sudan, while Group C contains Nigeria, Libya, Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea.

The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals, after which the comeptition continues in a knockout format until the final on February 4.

This will be the fourth edition of the CHAN finals that were first played in 2009. The competition is only open to players who ply their trade in their domestic leagues.

DR Congo won the inaugural title nine years ago, and also claimed victory when the competition was last played in 2016.

Tunisia were winners in 2011 and Libya won the competition that was played in South Africa in 2014.