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Defending
champions Senegal kicked off their CHAN 2024 title defence with a hard-fought
1-0 victory over Nigeria in a tense Group D clash at the Amaan Stadium,
Zanzibar.
By: Zig Diaries
Sports
Date: Tuesday, 5 August 2025
Time: 20:00 WAT
Location: 📍Zanzibar, Tanzania
The victory gives Senegal a vital
head start in Group D, while Nigeria face an uphill battle to stay in the
competition after a narrow opening loss.
Christian Gomis struck in the 75th minute to hand
Senegal the win in a match defined by high tension, physical battles, and
limited clear-cut chances. The clash, which brought together two giants of West
African football, lived up to its billing in intensity even if not in goals.
Senegal, the 2022 CHAN champions,
showed greater composure early on but had to contend with Nigeria’s pressing
and midfield aggression. Super Eagles duo Nduka Junior and Raymond Tochukwu
picked up early bookings as both sides exchanged hard tackles.
The first half yielded little in the
way of goalscoring opportunities, but Nigeria’s Sikiru Alimi tested goalkeeper
Marc Diouf with a low drive, while Senegal’s Daouda Ba and Moctar Koïté
threatened from range.
The breakthrough came after a swift
counter-attack led by Koïté, whose delivery into the box was met perfectly by
Gomis for a composed finish that ultimately decided the tie.
Nigeria pressed hard for an
equaliser, introducing Vincent Temitope and Godwin Obaje late on. Temitope went
close with a curling shot, while Alimi and Jabbar Malik caused problems from
set pieces. But Senegal’s backline, marshalled by Seyni Ndiaye and Joseph Layousse,
remained resolute.
The match was further punctuated by
seven substitutions and multiple stoppages, with tactical changes from
Senegal—like the introductions of Bonaventure Fonseca and Pape Badji—helping
disrupt Nigeria’s rhythm.
Frustration crept into the Nigerian
side, capped by a stoppage-time handball from Shola Adelani as their last push
for an equaliser fell short.
Senegal now top Group D with three
points, while Nigeria will look to recover against Congo and Sudan in the
remaining fixtures. Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle urged calm and focus, saying
the tournament is “a game-by-game process.”
For Coach Souleymane Diallo’s
Senegal, the result is a continuation of their defensive dominance—marking
their sixth 1-0 win in CHAN history and extending their unbeaten run against
West African teams in the competition.
🏷️Tags: CHAN2024, Senegal vs Nigeria, West Africa
football, CAF, TotalEnergies CHAN
#CHAN2024 #Senegal #Nigeria #SuperEagles #ZigDiariesSports #PamojaCHAN
#WestAfricaDerby
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