By Mark Ogagan
Ghana’s Black Galaxies were held to a goalless draw by Nigeria in the first leg of their CHAN qualifier on Sunday.
Mas Ud Didi Dramani’s side put up a decent performance but failed to take advantage of the few chances as the two teams shared the spoils in an entertaining match at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Despite spirited attacking efforts from both sides, clear-cut chances were few and far between in the first half, as Nigeria’s defence stood firm.
For all their fine wing play and energetic midfield control, Ghana lacked the efficiency upfront to break the deadlock.
The second half offered more attacking threat for both side with Nigeria hitting the woodwork while substitute Jerry Afriyie came close.
The Black Galaxies will continue with preparations ahead of the return leg on Saturday December 28 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with the winner booking a spot to the 2025 CHAN Tournament.
In other qualifying matches played over the weekend, Cote d’Ivoire won the highly anticipated West African derby, beating neighbours Burkina Faso 2-0.
Oumar Konaté’s brace at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny highlighted the Elephants’ strength, putting them in a solid position for the return fixture in Bamako.
Elsewhere, Sudan secured a 2-0 away win over Ethiopia, while Mauritania edged Mali 1-0 in a closely contested match while Cameroon secured an important 1-0 away win over Central African Republic.
South Sudan earned a narrow 3-2 victory over Rwanda in a thrilling encounter. Goals from Malish Mandela and Ezibon, along with an early own goal from Nsabimana, gave the Bright Stars the edge.
However, Rwanda’s fightback with goals from Muhire and Didier kept their hopes alive ahead of the decisive second leg in Kigali.
Defending champions Senegal were held to a 1-1 draw by Liberia in Monrovia. Seydina Mbaye’s opener for Senegal was canceled out by Bility’s late equalizer.
With the return leg set for Dakar, Senegal will rely on their home advantage to progress.
As the first leg of qualifiers have been concluded, all eyes are on the second-leg fixtures starting December 25, where teams will fight for a place in CHAN 2024 to be played in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in February next year.
TotalEnergies CAF CHAN 2024 Qualifiers Results:
Saturday, 21 December 2024
Lesotho 0-2 Angola
Equatorial Guinea 0-0 Congo
Mozambique 0-3 Zambia
Eswatini 0-2 Madagascar
Chad 1-1 DR Congo
Sunday, 22 December 2024
South Sudan 3-2 Rwanda
Central African Republic 0-1 Cameroon
Ethiopia 0-2 Sudan
Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Burkina Faso
Liberia 1-1 Senegal
Togo 1-1 Niger
Mauritania 1-0 Mali
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