DR Congo win record second CHAN title

Feb 07, 2016

The Leopards beat Mali in a pulsating rain-soaked final in Kigali to win another CHAN title.

 

@joekizza

 

CHAN 2016: Final

DR Congo 3
(Meschack 29' 61', Bolingi 72')   Mali  0


Celebrations began in Kinshasa as youngster Elia Meschack scored twice to help DR Congo win a record second Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) title by beating Mali in ruthless fashion.

__________________________________

The Leopards have now established themselves as the dominant side of the biennial tournament whose 4th edition was wrapped up on Sunday with a rain-soaked final inside a packed, noisy Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Unfazed by the downpour, the majority DR Congo fans willed their side on from the very moment South African referee Daniel Bennett blew the whistle for kick-off.

Just before the half-hour mark, midfielder Meschack steered home an angled shot to give The Leopards a deserved lead.

The 18-year-old then made it two for the night, and his fourth of the tournament, as he sliced open the Malian defence, beat goalkeeper Djigui Diarra and slotted home.

Goal number three was as spectacular, this time not by Meschack but by Jonathan Bolingi whose rasping low right-footed shot left Diarra beaten again.

It was end-to-end action as the rain pounded the players but it was the Congolese, who have relished such a fete before, that eventually reigned supreme.

With four goals, Meschack was crowned the tournament's top scorer as teammate and captain Joel Kimwaki received the Fair Play award.

DR Congo won the maiden title in 2009 hosted by this year's third place finishers Ivory Coast, and it has taken the Central African side three editions to replicate that achievement.

Sunday's triumph also means The Leopards have won the CHAN title as many times as they have the Africa Cup of Nations (1968 and 1974).

Among the 30,000 fans that watched the game from the Amahoro Stadium was President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and CAF president Issa Hayatou.

Hayatou, also the interim FIFA president, gave a brief speech in French before awarding President Kagame with a FIFA Order of Merit for his significant contribution towards a well-organised CHAN tournament.

And once the formalities were through, all attention turned on the pitch as the skies gave way to a relentless downpour.

The wet surface made for more difficult ball control but if there was one side that acclimatized sooner, it was The Leopards, and with pace and fluidity in counter-attacks, they appeared more dangerous in the opening periods.

They should have taken an early lead but Zacharie Mombo headed over a dipping cross provided by Meschack.

On the other end, The Eagles made a run for it but Mamadou Coulibaly's shot missed the target by inches. He should have made it count two minutes later when a Mali attack fed him in but the attacker looped it over the bar.

Nine minutes to half time, a defensive tangle almost gifted Bolingi with a chance to make it two after Meschack's earlier goal, but goalie Diarra parried it out for a corner that bore no threat.

Earlier, Congo custodian Ley Matampi's acrobatic save had allowed the ball to fall back to a dashing Abdoulaye Diarra but his first half-hearted kick was followed up by a weak one that caused no trouble.

Issaka Samake was booked for pulling a speeding Meschack as he raced for goal, but the resulting setpiece came to nothing.

Second half saw Mali coach Djibril Drame introduce 19-year-old N'guessan Kouame for Coulibaly to inspire refreshened vim in attack. On the hour mark, midfielder Lassana Samake amost scored from the spot Meschack had pulled the trigger for the opener but Matampi was on guard.

And only a minute later, Meschack stretched DR Congo's lead with a stunning goal before Bolingi sealed a convincing win with 18 minutes remaining to put 54-year-old Coach Florent Ibenge's side on course for a record CHAN title.


 

 t was the first time ali yellow was playing in a  final while it was  ongos second It was the first time Mali (yellow) was playing in a CHAN final while it was DR Congo's second. (AFP)

 

 

 t was celebration time for  ongo fans whose side enjoyed a resounding victory over ali on unday It was celebration time for DR Congo fans whose side enjoyed a resounding victory over Mali on Sunday. (AFP)

 





(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});