An online war of words erupted since Friday evening after both Kenya and Tanzania crashed out of the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024), sparking a flurry of trending hashtags and viral memes.

Harambee Stars’ quarter-final loss to Madagascar and Taifa Stars’ defeat to Morocco sent fans from both nations flooding social media with banter.

Hashtags like #HarambeeStars, #TaifaStars, and #Jirani dominated X (formerly Twitter), with thousands of posts mocking missed chances, team tactics, and regional bragging rights.

Tanzanians roasted Tanzania for their “early checkout,” while Kenyans clapped back after Taifa Stars’ dramatic exit.

The rivalry, though fierce online, underscores the growing passion for local football across East Africa.

Memes featuring players, humorous videos, and exaggerated match reactions continued to trend hours after the games, cementing the exit as one of the biggest social media talking points of the tournament.

Here are some of them: