The final of the African Nations Championship, CHAN 2024 tournament, will go down on Saturday between Morocco and Madagascar at the Moi Sports Café, Nairobi, Kenya. Morocco aims for a historic third title after winning it in 2018 and 2020.
Madagascar has already surpassed its best outing in the competition by getting to the finals; they were bronze medalist in their debut appearance in 2022. If they manage to get past Morocco in the finals to clinch the trophy, they will be making history by winning the country’s first-ever major football trophy.
While we look forward to the last blockbusting game of CHAN 2024, Sports Intel dives into the numbers of the tournament. So from us, here is the CHAN 2024 – Pamoja from 0-10 on our desk.
0 – Niger bags 0 goals
Niger Republic remains the country that has not found the net in this tournament. They finished bottom of their group after 2 draws and 2 losses. Apart from not scoring goals, the Nigerians also did not record a win for themselves.
Zambia, the Central African Republic, and Congo were the other countries with no wins in this competition.
1 – Nigeria hooks only win
The Super Eagles were one of the several countries that only grabbed one win in this tournament. The team had lost their first two games of the competition and only won their third game.
Nigeria is not the only country with just one win. Angola, Burkina Faso, Algeria, South Africa, and Guinea all picked up just a win each in the group stages and eventually crashed out.
2 – Nigeria scored 2 times
Apart from picking just a win, the Super Eagles scored 2 goals in the competition. Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi were the scorers. The goals came on the final day against Congo.
Congo and the Central African Republic were the other countries with just 2 goals.
3 – Morocco roar for 3
If the Atlas Lions lay their hands on the new CHAN trophy, that will be trophy number 3 in this competition. They will become the first country to ever win it thrice.
4 – Oussama Lamliou, the 4-star general
Morocco’s striker, Lamliou, is the highest goal scorer of the tournament with 4 goals. Lamliou has scored in every game for the Lions except against Kenya in the 1-0 loss and against Senegal in the semifinals.
Sudan also thumped Nigeria with 4 goals.
5 – No game ended in 5 goals
Throughout the tournament, no match ended in a 5 goals thriller.
6 – 2 thrillers birthed 6 goals and actions
Two games produced 6-goal thrillers. The first was the 4-2 goal-scoring encounter between Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic. The game swung in favour of Burkina Faso.
The other 6-goal encounter is the dramatic 3-3 draw between South Africa and Uganda.
7 – Poor defending from CAR and Burkina Faso
The Central African Republic and Burkina Faso were the two countries that conceded 7 goals in the group stage. Neither made it from their group.
The fastest goal of the tournament was also scored in the 7th minute by Madagascar’s Fenohasina Razafimaro. A goal scored against Burkina Faso.
8 – Zambia’s porousness
Zambia was the only team in the competition to ship in 8 goals. Despite playing only 4 matches, which were only in the group stage, they hold the record for the highest goals conceded in this tournament.
9 – Second fastest goal of the tournament
Ahmed El Mokhtar of Mauritania scored the second-fastest goal of the tournament against the Central African Republic. He slotted the ball into the net in the 9th minute, making him the second-fastest goal scorer of the tournament behind Razafirmaro.
10 – Morocco can’t stop scoring
Morocco remains the highest goal-scoring team of the tournament. They have found the net 10 times while navigating to the finals.
We will see if they will add more in the finals.
A total of 42 games had been played after the final two games; a total of 44 games would have been played in CHAN 2024. 83 and still counting, goals have also been scored.
The final game comes up on Saturday.