January 27,(THEWILLL) – Algeria’s football team secured a spot in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a dramatic encounter with Cote D’Ivoire.
The match, which took place at the packed Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Friday, was decided in the dying stages courtesy of Aimen Mahious’ penalty. The game lived up to its billing as a clash between two of Africa’s football powerhouses, with both teams having a go at each other in search of an early lead.
The action kicked off at a frantic pace, with midfield sensation, Zakaria Draoui, coming close to putting his side ahead in the 8th minute after a cross from Youcef Laouafi found the midfielder unmarked, whose header came off the woodwork. In response, the Ivorians had a chance to grab the lead when a golden opportunity fell for Aziz Abdoul, but he misdirected his strike.
The game continued to heat up as the host team continued to attack, with Laouafi proving to be a livewire down the left side for the Fennecs. However, the game took a dramatic turn in the 19th minute when Algerian shot-stopper, Alexis Guendouz, was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Abdoul. Both teams went into the break with 10 men on the field as Kouassi Attohoula Yao was red carded 14 minutes later.
The second half was just as action-packed as the first, with both teams launching attack after attack in search of the all-important opener. With just minutes left in additional time, Mahious sealed the victory for Algeria with a penalty. The team will now await the outcome of Saturday’s match between Madagascar and Mozambique to determine their semi-final opponent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
