CAF direct Uganda to screen players ahead of 2016 CHAN

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has given Uganda a deadline to have their players undergo extensive medical tests ahead of the 2016 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) to take place in Rwanda.

"We have been asked to screen all the players with extensive medical tests and the squad list sent by Jan. 6," Uganda FA Chief Executive Officer, Edgar Watson told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Watson said CAF, Africa's football governing body, is taking the medical tests seriously to avoid health risks to players during the tournament.

It is a requirement for all the teams that will participate to screen their players ahead of the tournament.

Before the 2011 CHAN tournament in Sudan, a Uganda Cranes defender Edward Ssali was discovered with a heart complication during the medicals tests and was omitted from the squad.

Uganda Cranes, who won a regional Senior Challenge Cup last weekend, have been drawn against Zimbabwe, Mali and Zambia in the events which will take place on Jan. 16-Feb.7

The other nations that will take part in the tournament include hosts Rwanda, Gabon, Morocco, Cote D'Ivoire, DR Congo, Cameroon, Angola, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Nigeria, Guinea and Niger.

Uganda will be making their third straight appearance in the tournament after featuring in the 2011 event in Sudan and last year in South Africa.

CHAN is a biannual tournament which features national teams made up exclusively of locally based players, who were active in their national championships.

Defending champions Libya and last year's runners-up Ghana failed to qualify for the 2016 CHAN. Endit