Madagascar and Sudan will meet for a place in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship PAMOJA 2024 when they clash in the last-4 in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
This is the second meeting between Madagascar and Sudan at the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN). Their first clash came in the group stages of the 2022 edition, in a three-team group that also included Ghana. Madagascar won that decisive encounter 3-0 to advance as group winners alongside Ghana.
Madagascar will be facing East African opposition for the fourth time at CHAN, with a record of one win, one draw and one loss. Their only defeat came earlier in this tournament against Tanzania. Sudan, meanwhile, are the first country that Madagascar have met twice at CHAN.
For Sudan, this will be their third match against Southern African opposition. They previously beat Zambia in the 2018 quarter-finals but lost to Madagascar in the 2022 group stage.
Both sides have scored six goals at this edition, though Madagascar have played one game more. They have produced 18 shots on target with a conversion rate of 14.63%, while Sudan have registered 12 shots on target at a more efficient 18.75% conversion rate.
The stakes are high: the winner will become the 12th different nation to reach a CHAN final. It will also continue the trend of fresh finalists, with each of the last four tournaments featuring at least one team in the final who had never previously been crowned champions. In 2022 both Senegal and Algeria were first-time winners, Mali reached their first final in 2020, while Morocco and Nigeria did so in 2018.
Madagascar – Key Facts
- Reached their second consecutive semi-final.
- Unbeaten in their last three games (W2 D1).
- Just one defeat in their last six matches (W3 D2 L1).
- Defeated hosts Kenya on penalties in the quarter-finals after Fenohasina Razafimaro equalised in the 69th minute; won 4-3 on spot-kicks.
- Razafimaro has scored in his last two matches.
Their only previous semi-final ended in a 1-0 defeat to eventual champions Senegal in 2022. - Record in knockout rounds: P4 W3 L1 (including penalty shootouts).
Only knockout defeat came against Senegal in the 2022 semi-finals. - Their quarter-final win over Kenya was their first game decided on penalties.
- A win would secure their first ever CAF final at senior level.
- Would become only the second COSAFA member to reach the CHAN final, after Angola in 2011.
- Also the first island nation to reach the final if successful.
- COSAFA teams have reached five CHAN semi-finals but only Angola (2011) have won.
- Bono Rabearivelo attempted 72 passes and had 112 touches vs Kenya, both tournament highs for a Madagascar player.
- Attempted 476 passes vs Kenya, their highest in a CHAN match.
- Scored in their last four games, never before in five consecutive matches.
- Lead the semi-finalists in tackles won (58) and duels won (268).
- A loss would make them the third side to lose two CHAN semi-finals, and the first to do so in successive editions.
Sudan – Key Facts
- Undefeated so far in four games, with three draws and one win.
- Reached their third semi-final after 2011 and 2018.
- Lost both previous semi-finals: 1-1 vs Angola in 2011 (lost 4-2 on penalties) and 1-0 to Nigeria in 2018.
- In five direct knockout matches have just one win in open play (1-0 vs Zambia, 2018 quarter-finals).
- Have won three of their four penalty shootouts at CHAN, most recently against Algeria in the 2024 quarter-finals.
- Only shootout defeat came against Angola in the 2011 semi-finals.
- Victory would make them the first East African team ever to reach the CHAN final.
- Defeat would make them the first team to lose three semi-finals.
- Lowest crossing accuracy (14%) among the semi-finalists.
- Only one win in open play in their last eight matches (D4 L3).
- Conceded two goals so far, their highest tally on the way to a semi-final (only conceded once in both 2011 and 2018).
- Unbeaten in four games, only once gone five without defeat in 2011 (W3 D3).
- Attempted 15 shots against Algeria, their most in a CHAN game this edition.
- Abdel Raouf Yagoub had five shots vs Algeria, the most by a Sudanese player in the tournament so far.
Source: CAFOnline