By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (August 26^th 2025)

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Twice African Nations Championship winners, Morocco, will have the opportunity to win an historic third CHAN championship on August 30^th. The Atlas Lions defeated Sénégal’s Teranga Lions 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Kampala’s Mandela National Stadium. They earned the right to contest this CHAN Final against Madagascar’s Barrea, who will make history whatever the result on Saturday.

Madagascar’s 60-year-old coach, Romuald Rakotondrabe, has already delivered his country’s best ever finish in African competition. Their AFCON campaign of 2019 surprised many – CAF translators mangled my question to Malagasy former CAF President Ahmad Ahmad[1] – but this was the greatest achievement the Barrea had ever achieved until now, despite winning the bronze medal two years ago in Algeria.

Regardless of whether they beat Morocco in Saturday’s CHAN Final or not, the Barrea have never before appeared in the final of an African football showpiece. Madagascar dispatched Sudan 1-0 at Dar es Salaam’s Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the first of today’s semi-finals.

Rakotondrabe’s Local Barrea

The Barrea’s coach has a mild manner, at least with journalists. As a former player, he knows all about players’ likes and dislikes. He imposed his personality and philosophy on the team to bring them to the brink of greatness. Despite being reduced to ten men after 79 minutes – Fenohasina Gilles Razafimaro was sent off for a second bookable offence, the Barrea rallied in extra time to seal their ticket to Nairobi’s CHAN conclusion with less than five minutes of extra time remaining – Toky Niaina Rakotondraibe scored the precious winner.

Michel Ramandimbisoa, affectionately known as ‘Toldo’ once again performed well to prevent Sudan taking a first-half lead through Mohamed Tia Asad and Mazin Al Bahli. Neither Razafimaro nor Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa were able to convert the best of the Barrea’s opportunities in the first half either.

Walieldin Khdir had the best opportunity of the match, but to the frustration of the Falcons of Jediane, his header failed to break the deadlock. With time running out and penalties a distinct possibility, Rafanomezantsoa threaded it through to Rakotondraibe and the COSFA Analamanga attacker shot past the crestfallen Mohamed Abooja to score the decisive goal. For Razafimaro, it’s bitter-sweet. It will be the Barrea’s greatest moment in African football, but he will not be able to help his teammates.

Shortly after Madagascar booked their ticket to Saturday’s showpiece event Morocco met the Teranga Lions in the second semi-final. Joseph Layousse Samb’s header from Libasse Guèye’s corner gave Sénégal the lead after 16 minutes. Sabir Bougrine responded with a fierce right-footed shot from outside of the area after 23 minutes. It gave the Teranga Lions’ keeper Marc Diouf no chance.

Further chances were created – Layousse for Sénégal and Anas Bach for Morocco in the first half and Layousse again and Seyni Ndiaye for the Teranga Lions were denied by Morocco’s goalkeeper El Mehdi Al Harrar in the second half, during which Youssouf Mehri and Ossama Lamlioui went close at the other end, but there was no further score, even in extra time.

The Atlas Lions tamed their Teranga namesakes 5-3 on penalties to book their journey to Nairobi. All five Moroccans scored their spot-kicks, Ndiaye left Sénégal playing catch-up when his effort struck the crossbar. They weren’t able to get another chance as all five Atlas Lions dispatched their penalties with aplomb to consign Sénégal to make the trip to Kampala for the match few want to play, the bronze medal match against Group D winners, Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan.

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[1] The actual question, which any English-speaking journalist who was there at Ahmad Ahmad’s press conference would know was that African competition had a history of surprises, so which team did he think would pull of a surprise and why? Thanks to an awful translation, he was asked if he thought there would be a surprise in the final. Of course, he didn’t. Shame that was nowhere near my actual question, and shame I was accused of asking a stupid question when and had to defend myself even to people who had no excuse not to know better – I still haven’t forgiven them! If the actual question had been translated accurately, I would have looked a prophetic star later as Madagascar unexpectedly reached the quarter-finals!

This time I made sure that Rakotondrabe had no doubts at all what I was asking him, but more of that later.