Algeria Stun Uganda in CHAN 2025 Opener

Algeria delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Uganda in their opening Group C fixture of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Monday in Kampala, marking a memorable start to their campaign and a disappointing one for the co-hosts.

This result makes Uganda the only co-hosting nation to lose its opening match at this year’s CHAN, after fellow hosts Tanzania and Kenya secured impressive wins over the weekend.

Match Summary

Goal Timeline

Highlights

• Ayoub Ghezala opened the scoring with a commanding aerial finish before the break.
• Abderrahmane Meziane, who was later named Man of the Match, doubled Algeria’s lead with a beautifully placed curler from the edge of the area.
• Sofiane Bayazid sealed the victory just three minutes later, finishing off a swift one-two move with overlapping full-back Naoufel Khacef.

Uganda’s Missed Chances

Despite the scoreline, Uganda created opportunities to pull themselves back into the match:

• Joel Ssrunjogi and Patrick Kakande both saw long-range efforts denied by the alert Algerian goalkeeper Zakaria Boulhalfaya, who preserved his clean sheet with confident handling and positioning.

Group C: Other Fixtures

In the other Group C clash, Guinea edged past Niger with a narrow 1–0 win in a match frequently interrupted by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interventions.

Guinea vs Niger Match Summary

• Teenage striker Mohammed Bangoura made amends for an earlier miss by slotting home the only goal two minutes into the second half.
• The goal was initially flagged for offside but stood following a VAR review.

Looking Ahead

Uganda’s next test comes against Guinea, who will be looking to build on their winning start. Algeria, with renewed confidence and a clean sheet, are poised to challenge for Group C dominance.

With momentum now firmly behind them, Algeria’s Desert Foxes have set the pace in Group C, while Uganda must regroup quickly to avoid an early exit on home soil.