KAMPALA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have suspended Uganda's goalkeeper Ismail Watenga for the first game of the 2018 Total Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

Ahmed Hussein, spokesman of the Uganda FA told Xinhua on Monday that Watenga will miss the opening game for Uganda against Zambia on January 14th in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Hussein made it clear that they received communication from CAF indicating that Watenga picked two yellow cards in the two qualifying games against Rwanda last year. Two yellow or a direct red card means a player is suspended for the next game.

He further explained that Watenga's suspension explains why the new national coach Sebastien Desabre used Benjamin Ochan in goal in the 1-1 draw against Guinea last Saturday in an international friendly match.

The tournament will take place January 13 to February 4 in four towns in Morocco. The Uganda Cranes are in Group B alongside Zambia, Namibia and Core d'Ivoire.

Each of the 16 teams in the tournament including hosts Morocco receives 175,000 U.S. dollars for qualification. While each of the teams in each group is assured of addition cash depending on the position they finish in the group, the eventual champions will pocket 1.25 million U.S. dollars.

The tournament will attract Morocco, Mauritania, Guinea, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Rwanda, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville.