CHAN 2024: Co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania bow out as Madagascar, Morocco advance

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 2024 AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 

 FRIDAY (AUGUST 22) QUARTERFINAL RESULTS 
🇰🇪 Kenya 1-1 Madagascar 🇲🇬
(Madagascar win 4-3 on penalties)
🇹🇿 Tanzania 0-1 Morocco 🇲🇦
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The African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 has been whittled down to six teams — two of them semifinalists Madagascar and Morocco — after Friday's quarter-final action in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

The competition will be narrowed down further on Saturday (August 23) when co-hosts Uganda meet reigning champions Senegal in Kampala and Sudan face off with Algeria in Zanzibar City the same day.

After edging co-hosts Kenya 4-3 on penalties in the first quarter-final at Moi International Sports Centre, 2022 third-place finishers Madagascar will battle with the winner between Sudan and Algeria for a coveted place in the final.

Morocco, twice winners of this competition featuring exclusively home-based players, knocked out co-hosts Tanzania in a 1-0 result at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and will duel with either Uganda or Senegal in the other semi-final.

It is the first time three nations are hosting CHAN, and even though two of them have now dropped off at the quarterfinal stage, their progression to the knockout stage — and as leaders of their respective groups — did well to add more shine to the historic dimension of their collective feat in true Pamoja spirit.

It's now left to Uganda to carry the hosts' flag — and hopes — as they get set to face off with defending champions Senegal, whom they beat 2-1 in a three-nations tournament in July aimed at preparing them for this CHAN edition.

At the previous CHAN edition in Algeria, The Cranes beat the Teranga Lions 1-0 at the group stage. But while Uganda never made it out of the group, Senegal, who topped the log, went on to win the tournament.

Now that half of the semi-final cast is known, the focus turns to Saturday's high-stakes matches to find out the identity of the two other semifinalists.

How Madagscar reached the semis

Madagascar started their second CHAN campaign with a goalless draw with Mauritania in Group B. It then went down south for Barea as their second game ended in a 2-1 defeat to co-hosts Tanzania. Nantenaina Razafimahatana's 34th-minute goal halved his side's deficit but a comeback was not successful.

Madagascar got their campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Central African Republic in their third game, the late goals scored by Toky Rakotondraibe and Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa.

And in a must-win final group game, Madagascar reigned supreme over already-eliminated Burkina Faso to beat Mauritania to the second qualification spot. Fenohasina Razafimaro's seventh-minute opener laid the foundation for Rafanomezantsoa to wrap up a 2-1 victory over The Stallions.

In a high-stakes quarterfinal clash with co-hosts Kenya, Madagascar knew they had to be disciplined to make it through. And they did, stretching Harambee Stars to the absolute limit in an absorbing duel.

How Morocco got to the last

Morocco, joint-record winners of this competition, got their campaign off to a winning start against Angola in a game in which Imad Riahi opened the scoring, before Joaqium Quinito's own goal sealed the victory.

After losing 1-0 to co-hosts Kenya in their second game, the Atlas Lions regrouped for beat Zambia 3-1 in their third. Mohamed Hrimat netted first in the opening half stoppage time, Oussama Lamlioui improved the lead, before Sabir Bougrine's stoppage time sealed the three points after Chipolopolo had threatened a comeback.

Morocco produced an identical result in their make-or-break final group game against DR Congo. In that one, Lamlioui's two goals on either end of the interval sandwiched teammate Hrimat's 70th-minute penalty.

The Atlas Lions flew from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam for their quarterfinal clash with Tanzania. And in their usual free-flowing approach, the Moroccans got the job done through the tournament's leading goalscorer: Oussama Lamlaoui. After proving a constant menace throughout the game, the bandaged forward slotted in this fourth goal of this edition after being fed in by Youssef Belammari from close range.

The Lions roared on.