Former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah began his CHAN journey with a hard-fought 1–1 draw as Sudan were held by Congo in their Group D opener at the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 on Tuesday.
Making his debut at the competition reserved solely for home-based African players, Appiah – who has previously led Ghana at both the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations – saw his Sudanese side put in a spirited display at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Sudan took a deserved first-half lead through Musa Hussien in the 29th minute after sustained pressure. The striker reacted quickest to a rebound, slotting home from close range after Congo goalkeeper Ulrich Samba had initially parried his first effort.
Appiah’s men continued to impress with their organisation and work rate, led in midfield by Abdel Raouf Yagoub, while Salah Adil and Mazin Simbo threatened from set-pieces. A superb late save by Samba denied Simbo deep in injury time, preventing Sudan from sealing victory.
Congo, appearing in their fifth CHAN campaign, found a late equaliser in the 90+6 minute through substitute Carly Ekongo, who fired in from close range after a goalmouth scramble, cancelling out Hussien’s opener and rescuing a point.
Despite the late setback, Appiah expressed satisfaction with the fight shown by his players in their opening match.
The result extends Sudan’s search for a CHAN victory in open play to five matches, but under Appiah’s leadership there were positive signs ahead of their next Group D fixture against Nigeria. Meanwhile, Congo prepare to face defending champions Senegal in what promises to be another stern test in a tightly-contested pool.
Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS