Table of Contents
- Madagascar booked their spot in CHAN final after stunning Sudan 1-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam
- Morocco, on the other hand, needed penalties to overcame a tough Senegal side after a 1-1 draw in regular time and extra time
The stage is set for the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship CHAN final – Madagascar vs Morocco.
Madagascar booked their spot in the final after stunning Sudan 1-0 in Dar es Salaam despite ending the match played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium with ten men.
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Morocco, on the other hand, needed penalties to overcame a tough Senegal side after a 1-1 draw in normal time. The Atlas Lions, who have already won CHAN two times, won the penalty shootouts 5-3 at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
The final match of CHAN 2024 will be played on Saturday at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to that, there will be a third-place playoff between Sudan and Senegal on Friday at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
Madagascar beat Sudan 1-0 in extra time to reach 2024 CHAN final. The only goal of the tensed match was scored in the 116th minute. Photo/ trt.global.
How Madagascar Beat Sudan
Madagascar clashed with Sudan on Tuesday evening for a spot in CHAN final. Both teams entered the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium aiming to reach their first ever final. The Barea finished third in the last edition of the tournament and were hoping to make history by playing in the final. Sudan were semifinalists in 2011 and 2018 but failed to proceed in the final in both occasions.
The island nation started the game on a high note, dominating possession and creating chances. However, Sudan later grew into the clash which later turned out to be a cagey affair as the clock ticked on. Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa and Fenohasina Razafimaro caused chaos in Sudan’s box while Mohamed Tia Asad and Mazin Al Bahli kept Madagascar’s goalkeeper Michel Ramandimbisoa on toes.
Things got interesting in the second half of the Madagascar vs Sudan match as both teams tried to find the opening goal. Walieldin Khdir, Mohamed Ahmed Saeed and Musa Hussien came close to giving Sudan the lead but a determined Ramandimbisoa ensured his side remained in the contest. Sudan goalie Mohamed Abooja was also forced to make fine saves to deny Randriamanampisoa and Rafanomezantsoa on the other end of the goal.
The goal that eventually separated the two sides arrived in the 116th minute when Rakotondraibe fired a low shot past goalkeeper Abooja. Madagascar fans and bench erupted in celebrations as they were now minutes away from reaching the final.
Sudan desperately pushed for an equalizer but Madagascar defended firmly until the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match.
Morocco Edge Out Senegal On Penalties
In Kampala, defending champions Senegal clashed with two-time winners Morocco in the second semi-final of the day. Senegal started the match well, with Joseph Layousse heading home the opener in the 16th minute.
However, it didn’t take time before the Atlas Lions found the equalizer. Sabir Bougrine fired a thunderous strike in the 23rd minute to bring his side back into the tie.
Defending champions Senegal were knocked out of CHAN 2024 by Morocco in the semi-final. The game ended 1-1 in normal time and extra time, forcing a penalty shootout where Morocco triumphed 5-3. Photo/ CAF Online.
With both sides finding the back of the net, it seemed as if there would be several goals in the clash. However, both defenses stood solid for the remaining minutes of the 90. The game remained 1-1 even after extra time and the winner had to be decided via penalty shootouts.
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Morocco remained calm in the shootouts and converted all their penalties. Senegal, on the other hand, missed the first kick which eventually cost them.
