August 05, (THEWILL) — Defending champions Senegal commenced their CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Nigeria in a tightly contested Group D encounter at Amaan Stadium on Tuesday. The West African rivals displayed exceptional intensity throughout the match, with Christian Gomis’ second-half strike proving decisive as Senegal began their title defence with maximum points. Nigeria, returning to the CHAN finals for the first time since 2018, pressed aggressively but ultimately fell short against the 2022 champions.
The breakthrough arrived in the 75th minute when substitute Moctar Koïté darted down the right flank before delivering a precise pass into the penalty area, finding Gomis unmarked to calmly slot home with his left foot. Prior to the goal, both teams had created opportunities but struggled with composure in the final third, with Nigeria’s Sikiru Alimi forcing a save from Senegalese goalkeeper Marc Diouf, while Daouda Ba and Koïté tested Nigeria’s defence from distance.
Nigeria responded immediately to falling behind, introducing Vincent Temitope and Godwin Obaje to strengthen their attacking options. Temitope came close to equalising with a late shot that sailed just wide, while Alimi and Jabbar Malik threatened from set pieces. However, Senegal’s defence, marshalled by Seyni Ndiaye and Joseph Layousse, withstood the growing pressure to preserve their lead until the final whistle.
Following the match, Nigeria coach Éric Chelle emphasised the need to “take each game as it comes” with fixtures against Congo and Sudan still ahead in the group stage. His Senegalese counterpart Souleymane Diallo had insisted before the tournament that his team felt no pressure defending their title, a sentiment his players validated with this determined performance. The result extends Senegal’s unbeaten record against West African opponents at CHAN and marks their sixth 1-0 victory in the competition’s history.
The Championship, featuring players exclusively from domestic leagues, has begun with the competitive fervour expected from two of Africa’s footballing powerhouses. Senegal is now top of Group D, while Nigeria must regroup quickly to keep their quarter-final hopes alive. If this opening encounter serves as any indication, the tournament promises fiercely contested matches as teams battle for continental supremacy in the coming weeks.
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.
