Morocco has reached the final of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a thrilling penalty shootout against Senegal at Mandela National Stadium on Tuesday. The semifinal ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, and Morocco won the shootout 5-3.
As a result, they’ll face Madagascar, who reached this stage of the competition for the first time in their history after thumping Sudan 1-0 on Tuesday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Senegal scored first in the 16th minute with a goal from Joseph Layousse after a corner kick from Libasse Gueye. Morocco quickly equalised in the 22nd minute with a right-footed shot by Sabir Bougrine that went past Senegal’s goalkeeper, Marc Diouf.
The first half had some drama, including a yellow card for Senegal’s Moussa Cisse in the 7th minute for a rough tackle on Youssef Mehri.
Both teams created chances, with Morocco’s Annas Bach forcing a good save from Diouf just before halftime.
In the second half, Senegal substituted Christian Gomis for Velho Cisse. Tension rose when Morocco’s Marouane Louadni initially received a red card in the 53rd minute, but it was later changed to a yellow after a VAR review.
Senegal almost scored again in the 59th minute with Layousse’s long-range shot, but it was saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Al Harrar. Morocco responded, with Youssef Mehri’s header saved by Diouf in the 66th minute.
The match ended 1-1 after regular time, leading to extra time where both teams made substitutions but failed to score. The game went to penalties, and Morocco triumphed 5-3.
They will face Madagascar in the final next Saturday. This victory highlights Morocco’s strong tournament performance under coach Tarik Sektioui, who previously led the team to wins against Tanzania (1-0), the Democratic Republic of Congo (3-1), and Zambia (3-1). The upcoming final presents Morocco with an opportunity to secure the CHAN title.
#Madagascar, after narrowly defeating Sudan 1-0 in a thrilling semi-final at the Benjamin, booked their spot in the first-ever CHAN final on Tuesday night, at Dar es Salaam's Mkapa National Stadium.
— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) August 27, 2025
A late strike from substitute Toky Rakotondraibe was enough in the 116th minute pic.twitter.com/l7kkzl4Kl3
