On Saturday, February 4, Senegal won their first-ever championship by defeating Algeria in the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) final.
At the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers, the home-based Teranga Lions defeated Algeria 5-4 on penalties, ending Algeria’s ambitions of serving as the tournament’s host and winning the match.
Pape Thiaw’s team will look back on their performance on the night they completed the treble for the West African nation and be pleased with their performance in a year in which they had won the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as the Beach Soccer AFCON.
Both teams were nervous in the first few minutes of the final, which would crown a new champion for the continental competition set up for players who compete in their domestic leagues.
In the opening 30 minutes, the tension rose as Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho handed four yellow cards, but they both soon cooled down and focused on taking the lead.
After the first 45 minutes of play, neither team scored a goal to put them ahead of the other.
When Senegal nearly scored in the 56th minute, the Senegal bench was on edge as Diallo’s long-range shot from beyond the box went over the crossbar.
No goals were scored in the second half, therefore the game went into extra time before moving to penalties.
Despite Cheikhou Ndiaye and Aimen Mahious both missing their turns from the spot, Senegal went on to win the trophy. Ahmed Kendouci and Aimen Mahious both missed their turns from the spot.
Algeria, meanwhile, set a new tournament record by going six games in a row without conceding.