Congo Strike First in Physical Contest

Defending champions Senegal were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Congo in their second Group D match at the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 in Zanzibar.

The opener came in the 19th minute when Dechan Moussavou stunned the Amaan Stadium with a precise finish after a cross from Charles Atipo. Senegal, who had opened with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria, struggled against a compact defense marshalled by Venold Dzaba and Gosim Elenga, who disrupted the midfield flow.

The first half turned scrappy, with frequent fouls breaking the rhythm. Goalkeeper Ulrich Samba was rarely troubled, aside from an angled strike by Mbaye Yaya Ly in stoppage time.

Layousse Saves Senegal Late

In the second half, head coach Souleymane Diallo made changes, introducing Vieux Cissé to add creativity, but Congo continued to pose a counter-attacking threat. Marc Diouf was called into action to push away a curling effort from Elie Andzouono in the 69th minute.

Senegal increased the pressure through set-pieces delivered by Ousseynou Seck, forcing Congo to defend deep. Christian Gomis and Libasse Guèye came close, but Samba pulled off key saves.

The equaliser arrived in the 82nd minute when Seck’s corner created chaos in the box and Joseph Layousse fired home. Moments later, Seyni Ndiaye missed a close-range header that could have completed the turnaround.

Group D Wide Open

In the closing stages, Brudet Okana fired over for Congo, and a dangerous free-kick from Ababacar Sarr went untouched in the area. The intensity was reflected in several yellow cards during stoppage time.

With this result, Senegal move to four points and remain in a strong position, while Congo sit on two points and take confidence from troubling one of the group’s favourites. The clash between Nigeria and Sudan will further shape the Group D picture, with all four teams still in contention for a quarter-final spot.