ROARING LIONS O TRANGA
Senegal beat hosts Algeria on penalties to win CHAN title and complete African double
Algiers, Algeria - Senegal completed a double when they beat hosts Algeria 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to win the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final on Saturday.
Golden Boot winner Aymen Mahious had a chance to win a competition reserved for footballers playing in their country of birth when he stepped forward to take the 10th spot-kick.
But his attempt was weak and straight at goalkeeper Pape Sy, who saved comfortably, leaving the teams deadlocked at 4-4, and necessitating a suddendeath extension to the shootout.
Ousmane Diouf calmly converted to edge Senegal ahead amid whistling from many in a sellout 39,120 crowd at the Stade Nelson Mandela in Algiers.
Ahmed Kendouci had to score to keep Algerian hopes of victory
alive, but his shot rebounded off the crossbar and Senegal were champions.
The local-based team triumphed a year after the full Senegal team, including stars like Sadio Mane, beat Egypt on penalties to win the premier
competition, the Africa Cup of Nations.
It was a joyous occasion for all of west Africa as teams from the region reached five of the other six Nations Championship finals and lost them all.
This was the second final to
be decided by a shootout with Libya beating Ghana on penalties after a goalless 2014 title decider in Cape Town.
Regular and extra time in a tense, physical Algiers showdown were notable for the lack of goal attempts with just four in
120 minutes, three of them from Algeria.
The attempt that came closest to breaking the deadlock was in the 107th minute when a volley from Houssem Mrezigue was brilliantly pushed over by Sy.