Madagascar and Sudan will face off for a place in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship PAMOJA 2024 when they clash in the semifinals in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
This matchup marks the second meeting between Madagascar and Sudan at the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN). Their first encounter occurred during the group stages of the 2022 edition, which featured a three-team group also including Ghana. Madagascar won that decisive match 3-0, advancing as group winners alongside Ghana.
Madagascar will be up against East African opposition for the fourth time at CHAN, holding a record of one win, one draw, and one loss. Their only defeat came earlier in this tournament against Tanzania. Sudan, on the other hand, is the first country that Madagascar has faced twice at CHAN.
For Sudan, this will be their third match against Southern African teams. They previously defeated Zambia in the 2018 quarter-finals but lost to Madagascar in the 2022 group stage.
Both teams have scored six goals in this edition of the tournament, although Madagascar has played one game more. Madagascar has produced 18 shots on target with a conversion rate of 14.63%, while Sudan has registered 12 shots on target at a more efficient conversion rate of 18.75%.
The stakes are high: the winner will become the 12th different nation to reach a CHAN final. This continues the trend of new finalists, as each of the last four tournaments featured at least one team reaching the final for the first time. In 2022, both Senegal and Algeria were first-time winners, Mali reached their first final in 2020, and Morocco and Nigeria did so in 2018.
Madagascar – Key Facts
- Reached their second consecutive semi-final.
- Unbeaten in their last three games (2 wins, 1 draw).
- Only one defeat in their last six matches (3 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss).
- Defeated hosts Kenya on penalties in the quarter-finals after Fenohasina Razafimaro equalized in the 69th minute; they won 4-3 in the shootout.
- 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: 4 matches played, 3 wins, 1 loss (including penalty shootouts).
- Their only knockout defeat came against Senegal in the 2022 semi-finals.
- Their quarter-final win over Kenya was their first game decided by penalties.
- A win would secure their first-ever CAF final at the 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 they are successful.
- COSAFA teams have reached five CHAN semi-finals, but only Angola (in 2011) has won.
- Bono Rabearivelo attempted 72 passes and had 112 touches against Kenya, both tournament highs for a Madagascar player.
- Attempted 476 passes against Kenya, their highest in a CHAN match.
- Scored in their last four games; they have never scored in five consecutive matches before.
- Lead the semi-finalists in tackles won (58) and duels won (268).
- A loss would make them the third team to lose two CHAN semi-finals, and the first to do so in successive tournaments.
Sudan – Key Facts
- Undefeated so far in four games, with three draws and one win.
- Reached their third semi-final after previous appearances in 2011 and 2018.
- Lost both previous semi-finals: 1-1 against Angola in 2011 (lost 4-2 on penalties) and 1-0 to Nigeria in 2018.
- In five direct knockout matches, they have just one win in open play (1-0 against Zambia in the 2018 quarter-finals).
- Have won three of their four penalty shootouts at CHAN, most recently against Algeria in the 2024 quarter-finals.
- Their only shootout defeat came against Angola in the 2011 semi-finals.
- A victory would make them the first East African team to reach the CHAN final.
- A defeat would make them the first team to lose three semi-finals.
- They have the lowest crossing accuracy (14%) among the semi-finalists.
- Only one win in open play in their last eight matches (4 draws, 3 losses).
- 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, they have only previously gone five without defeat in 2011 (3 wins, 3 draws).
- Attempted 15 shots against Algeria, their most in a CHAN game this edition.
- Abdel Raouf Yagoub had five shots against Algeria, the most by a Sudanese player in the tournament so far.
