Uganda’s hopes of a strong start at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 were dashed on home soil on Monday.
The Cranes suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat to a clinical Algerian side in front of a full house at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium, Kampala.
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Backed by an enthusiastic crowd, Uganda entered the tie with high expectations.
But after a bright opening few minutes, the Cranes quickly lost their shape and composure against a well-organised Algerian team. Ayoub Ghezala opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a smart header from a corner, silencing the home fans and giving Algeria the edge going into halftime.
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The second half followed a familiar pattern—Uganda pressed for an equaliser, but Algeria’s experience and tactical discipline prevailed. Abderrahmane Meziane and Soufiane Bayazid struck in quick succession late in the game to wrap up a convincing win.
Despite efforts from Joel Sserunjogi, Gavin Kizito and Karim Watambala, Uganda rarely looked like scoring and remain in search of their first-ever CHAN knockout appearance.
It was a disappointing start for Coach Milutin Sredojević’s men, who must now regroup quickly ahead of their next Group C fixture against South Africa.
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Earlier in the day, Guinea secured a narrow but valuable 1-0 win over Niger in the group’s first fixture. Mohamed Bangoura II struck early in the second half following a VAR check to hand Guinea all three points in a closely contested, physical encounter.
With Algeria and Guinea taking early control of the group, Uganda now face an uphill battle to stay in contention. Another slip-up could all but end their dream of advancing beyond the group stage for the first time.
Attention will on Tuesday shift to Group D where Nigeria’s Super Eagles B team will be up against defending champions Senegal after the group opener between Congo and Sudan.
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