CHAN 2024: Senegal beat Sudan 4-2 on penalties to take bronze

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 2024 AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 

 THIRD PLACE MATCH: AUGUST 29 RESULT 
🇸🇩 Sudan 1-1 Senegal 🇸🇳 (Senagal win 4-2 on penalties)
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Senegal beat Sudan 4-2 on penalties in Uganda's capital Kampala on Friday (August 29) to finish third and wrap up their African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 campaign with bronze.

On the penultimate day of this eighth edition featuring Africa's home-based soccer players, the Lions of Teranga, having ran out steam earlier this week in their quest to defend their title, had to navigate past the Nile Crocodiles in the third place play-off at Mandela National Stadium.

With a bronze podium finish to battle for, Mohamed Teya headed Sudan in front six minutes into the contest. But Seyini Mbaye Ndiaye levelled matters 13 minutes into the second half to set up a frenetic conclusion to this duel.

Despite a late push by the Senegalese for a winner, bombarding their opponents with attack after attack, the scoreline remained unchanged at the end of regulation time, forcing the contest into a penalty shootout without extra time.

Sudan's captain Walieldin Khidr led the way, but missed his penalty and also saw teammate Musab Makeen's effort saved by Marc Diouf. Having converted all their three penalties, Libasse Gueye was the man to deliver the goods for Senegal — the Lion successfully doing so by emaphatically beating Sudanese goalkeeper Mohamed Elnour.

Coach Souleymane Diallo and his side celebrated their latest success on the continent as Sudan, who have won many hearts with their resilience in the face of adversity, bowed out with pride.

Attention now turns to the big one: the final between first-time finalists and 2022 bronze medallists Madagascar and two-time champions Morocco. Either way, history will be made in Kenya's capital Nairobi, where this final showdown will unfold on Saturday (August 30) at Moi International Sports Centre.

As focus shifts away to the other end of the border, the curtains come down on co-hosts Uganda's act after successfully playing host to Friday's third place match, which was handled by Ugandan referee Shamirah Nabadda.

Under glorious evening sunshine, the crowds inside the stadium and those following remotely were served up the opening goal very, very early. In fact, the earliest at this edition. 

It all started with the typically springy Altayeb Abdelrazig racing deep into enemy territory. But with the Sudanese foward's instinctive sight on goal, his left-footed close-range shot was blocked out for a corner by Teranga Lions' masked skipper Baye Assane Ciss. Seconds later, the Senegal goal area may have been crowded with green and white shirts in anticipation of the cornerkick, but Mohamed Teya couldn't believe his luck — allowed to rise unchallenged, the Sudanese forward headed his side into an early lead.

His pompous backflip celebration as assured as his sixth-minute his opener that was recorded as the fastest goal scored at this edition thus far.

In the 19th minute, Ousseynou Fall Seck's trickery inside the Sudanese area allowed him to slalom past white shirts, but his resulting low effort — packing a punch — landed in the safety of Mohamed Elnour's gloves.

Ten minutes before the break, Senegal's Joseph Layousse readied himself to deliver a freekick in Sudan's half. His delivery was direct, curling and never lacking whip and verve. But the ball hurtled past the outstretched Elnour and rattled the sidenetting, sending a reverberation of ohs and ahhs across the vast sporting cauldron. 

Seeing the net disturbed, for a moment there, the Lions thought they had levelled matters. But the Crocodiles were still in charge.

As half time fast-approached, the Senegalese continued to fan flames from the dying embers of a highly physical opening contest, and their marauding attacks nearly paid off, and not once.

For instance, three minutes to the break, Vieux Cisse swivelled inside the Sudanese area but as he released his shot, Mohamed Ahmed Saeed slid in just in time to block the effort.

In the heat of Senegal's late relentless torment before referee Nabadda could send the two sides in the dressing room for oranges and pep-talks, Seck's spirited surge forwards ended with the ball ricocheting into the path of teammate Oumar Ba, whose's left-footed shot forced Elnour into a crucial block.

Despite the rapid succession of attacks, Sudan's besieged final third stood strong to keep their fragile first-half lead intact.

After the interval though, Senegal returned intent on clawing back into this contest that was watched by a predominatly neutral crowd in co-host Uganda's capital, but definitely followed keenly back home.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Senegal eventually found the breakthrough. Seck, on the right flank, shifted gears to whip a cross into the Sudanese danger zone. Elnour flew out of his goal to try and deal with the hazard, but the rising Seyini Mbaye Ndiaye's head got to the ball first to lock in this game's second headed goal.

Back in it, the Teranga Lions — superior on the ball — continued to push men forward. As the contest wore on, substitute Amadou Bene Coly drew Sudan's goalstopper into another one of many saves in this duel.

Sudan, often starved of the ball, banked on blistering counter-attacks. And for a moment, Ghanaian coach James Kwesi Appiah's side thought they had snatched it late when substitute Maaz Kandani Koko squandered their best opportunity in the second half.

The Sudanese forward peeled away from his minders to race forward and close in on Senegalese keeper Diouf, whom he rounded nicely but lost precious bearings while doing so. This allowed a returning Issa Kane to throw his body in the path of the Koko's weak effort and teammate Malick Sembene to hack the ball out of play.

The embers eventually died out with no winner established within the 90.

And for a second time in this tournament, Mandela National Stadium was to host a penalty shootout, with Senegal having to do it again following their spotkicks defeat to Morocco in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

This time around, it was Senegal to reign supreme, and their triumphant celebration as they walked up to pick their bronze medals underlined not only their relief to be walking away with tangible dividends, but wrapping up their campaign with a measure of redemption.