Sudan has secured its spot in the semi-finals of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) by overcoming Algeria 4-2 in a penalty shootout in Zanzibar on Saturday night.
The Falcons of Jediane, under the leadership of Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah, maintained their composure during a tightly contested match that ended 1-1 after extra time before succeeding in the penalty shootout.
The encounter, held at Amaan Stadium, was intense and dramatic as both teams battled fiercely for advancement to the semi-finals.
See how Kwasi Appiah’s Sudan defeated Nigeria 4-0.
Following a scoreless first half, Sudan gained the upper hand in the 48th minute when Algerian defender Ayoub Ghezala inadvertently scored an own goal under pressure from Musa Hussien.
Algeria, who had not lost in their previous ten CHAN games, responded strongly, leveling the score in the 73rd minute with a goal from Soufiane Bayazid.
With neither team able to secure a victory after 120 minutes, the match was decided by penalties.
Sudanese goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja was the standout player, saving two penalties from Mehdi Merghem and Zakaria Draoui. Sudan successfully converted four penalty attempts from Walieldin Khidir, Mohamed Ahmed Saeed, Ahmed Tabanja, and Mohamed Tia Asad, achieving a 4-2 win.
This outcome marks Sudan‘s third appearance in the CHAN semi-finals and keeps them unbeaten in the tournament, having previously triumphed over Nigeria 4-0 and drawn with the defending champions Senegal.
They will compete against Madagascar on Tuesday, August 26, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Algeria, who were the runners-up in 2022, have been eliminated from the tournament earlier than anticipated, leaving their pursuit of a first CHAN title unachieved.
