Madagascar, Sudan Clash for Place in TotalEnergies CAF CHAN PAMOJA 2024 Final

Madagascar and Sudan will battle for a spot in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 when they meet in the semi-final at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

This will be only the second time the two sides meet at CHAN. Their first encounter came in the group stages of the 2022 edition, where Madagascar recorded a convincing 3-0 victory to progress alongside Ghana.

Both teams enter this clash chasing history, with the winner set to become the 12th different nation to reach a CHAN final. The tournament has consistently produced fresh finalists in recent years, with Senegal and Algeria contesting their first title decider in 2022, Mali in 2020, and Morocco and Nigeria in 2018.

Madagascar – Key Facts

• Reached their second consecutive semi-final.
• Unbeaten in their last three matches (W2 D1), with just one defeat in six (W3 D2 L1).
• Defeated hosts Kenya 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-final after Fenohasina Razafimaro equalised in the 69th minute.
• Razafimaro has scored in his last two games.
• Record in knockout rounds: Played 4, Won 3, Lost 1 (including penalty shootouts).
• Their only knockout defeat came against Senegal in the 2022 semi-final.
• Lead the semi-finalists in tackles won (58) and duels won (268).
• Have scored in four straight matches – never before in five consecutive CHAN games.
• A win would secure their first-ever CAF final at senior level.
• Would also become the first island nation and only the second COSAFA member after Angola (2011) to reach the CHAN final.

Sudan – Key Facts

• Undefeated in this edition with one win and three draws.
• Reached their third CHAN semi-final after 2011 and 2018.
• Lost both previous semi-finals (to Angola on penalties in 2011 and 1-0 to Nigeria in 2018).
• Strong in shootouts: Won 3 of their 4 penalty shootouts at CHAN, including against Algeria in the 2024 quarter-finals.
• Only one win in open play in their last eight matches (D4 L3).
• Conceded two goals so far – their highest tally en route to a semi-final.
• Attempted 15 shots against Algeria, their most in a game this edition.
• Abdel Raouf Yagoub had five shots in that match, the most by any Sudanese player in the tournament.
• A win would make them the first East African team ever to reach the CHAN final.
• A loss would make them the first team to suffer three semi-final defeats.

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The Stakes

Both teams are level on six goals in the tournament, with Madagascar playing one game more. The Barea have produced 18 shots on target at a 14.63% conversion rate, while Sudan have managed 12 shots on target with a more efficient 18.75% conversion rate.

With history on the line, Tuesday’s clash promises to be one of the standout encounters of the tournament.