ALGERIA’S hopes of winning the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on home soil were crushed in heartbreaking fashion as they lost 5-4 on penalties to Senegal in the final on Saturday.
The Local Teranga Lions edged hosts in a very tense final at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers in front of 39,120 spectators on a cold winter night.
Pape Thiaw’s side will look back and be proud of their performance on the night that saw them complete the treble for the West African nation in a year that has seen them lift the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as the Beach Soccer AFCON.
Both sides seemed tense in the opening minutes of the final that would see a new champion for the continental tournament that is organised for players that feature in their domestic leagues.
The tension escalated as Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho dished out four yellow cards in the opening half hour but they both settled in well thereafter and sought to have an edge over their opponents.
Goalless at the half-time mark, both coaches Madjid Bougherra and Pape Thiaw made some changes in the second half and increased their intensity while maintaining a balanced outlook on the night.
With the game ending goalless after regular time, extratime called for extra focus as both sides continued pressing up front but neither was successful.
And penalties it was, the Teranga Lions held their breaths as Ousmane Diouf found the back of the net via a sneaky shot past Guendouz who had dived into the right direction to make it 5-4 for Senegal.
The pressure was now on Algeria.
Ahmed Kendouci visibly felt it and when he missed his chance to equalize, it was tears for the home side while Senegal ran into the pitch in animated celebration of the country’s first ever CHAN title.
Meanwhile, Algeria set a new tournament record by not conceding in six games at the tournament in regular time. The final was the first game to go into extra time.
