Algeria sweep aside home team Uganda in 2024 Chan Group 'C' opener
Algerian players celebrate their third goal against Uganda in a Group ‘C’ match at the 2024 African Nations Championships at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala on August 4, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Uganda became the only of the three co-hosts to suffer a defeat in their opening match of the campaign.
- Kenya defeated the DR Congo 1-0 in Nairobi, while Tanzania beat Burkina Faso 2-0 in Dar es Salaam.
Hosts Uganda on Monday began their Group 'C' campaign in the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) on a disappointing note, losing 3-0 to Algeria at the 45,000-seater Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
Captain Ayoub Ghezala, forward Abderrahmane Meziane and defender Soufiane Bayazid were all on target, giving 2022 finalists Algeria a bright start in their third appearance in the tournament reserved for players plying their trade in the domestic leagues of their respective countries.
Ghezala fired Algeria ahead with a header after connecting to Meziane’s corner-kick. Meziane double the Desert Foxes advantage in the 76th minute after a receiving a beautiful pass from Messalla Merbah.
Three minutes later, Bayazid put the match beyond Uganda’s reach with a close range finish.
Karim Watambala and Gavin Kizito both came close to finding the back of the net for Uganda.
Uganda are competing in their seventh Chan tournament. The Cranes are among the regular campaigners in the championship alongside the DRC also with seven appearances.
Uganda will next face Guinea on Sunday at the same venue while Algeria will square it out with South Africa at the same venue the same day.
Earlier at the same venue, Guinea defeated Niger by a similar margin in another Group 'C' match. Mohamed Bangoura was the hero for Syli National with a second-half goal that needed a VAR review.
South Africa is the other team in the group. Following Uganda’s loss to Algeria, they become the only of the three co-hosts to suffer a defeat in their opening match of the campaign.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are co-hosting the delayed 19-nation, four-week biennial football tournament.
On Sunday, Kenya defeated 2009 and 2016 Chan champions, the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in the opening fixture of Group 'A' at the 48,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in Nairobi.
Morocco, who lifted the tournament’s title in 2018 and 2020, beat Angola 2-0 in the group's other game at Nyayo National Stadium. Zambia, who are yet to enter the fray, completes the group.
In Group 'B', hosts Tanzania defeated Burkina Faso 2-0 in the opening match of the tournament on Saturday at the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
