Namboole, Uganda: The Desert Foxes of Algeria got off their 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) to a flying start with a 3-0 thrashing of hosts Uganda in front of a packed Mandela National Stadium on Monday night.
The North African giants lived up to their pre-match billing as favourites, dominating the Cranes with slick possession and clinical finishing.
Uganda Cranes, hosting the tournament for the first time aimed to make history but Coach Byekwaso’s boys struggled to contain the Desert Foxes despite a passionate home crowd.
The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Algerian skipper Ayoub Ghezala found the back of the net following sustained pressure on Uganda’s goalkeeper Mutakubwa, leaving the Cranes trailing 0-1 but still at the break.
After the restart, Uganda pushed forward in search of an equaliser, lifted by chants from the home fans, but Algeria quickly regained control, doubling their lead in the 75th minute through Meziane Ben Tahar.
Just three minutes later, Algeria sealed the result with a third goal in the 78th minute, a ruthless spell that saw Uganda’s hopes collapse. The home fans, visibly disappointed, began leaving the stadium, even before the final whistle.
Despite a few promising moments, the hosts failed to create real danger in the final third, and questions will now be asked of their tactical discipline and squad readiness ahead of their next group fixture on Friday August 8, against Guinea who earlier beat Niger 1-0 in the CHAN opener at Namboole.
The result puts Algeria top of Group C, level on points with Guinea, but piles early pressure on Uganda, who must bounce back in their second match to keep knockout stage hopes alive.
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