The
final of the ongoing Championship for African Nations (CHAN) will be
between hosts, Morocco, and Nigeria. Morocco beat Libya 3 – 1 whiles
Nigeria managed a one-nil victory against Sudan
Morocco, and Nigeria. Morocco beat Libya 3 – 1 whiles Nigeria managed a one-nil victory against Sudan.
Playing
at a packed Complexe Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco needed extra
time to beat fellow north Africans Libya on Wednesday evening. The
first-half ended goalless but on the 73rd minutes mark CHAN record top
scorer Ayoub El Kaabi scored.
The lead was cancelled thirteen minutes later as Libya’s Abdulrahm Khalleefah hit an equalizer sending the game into extra time.
El
Kaabi extended his scoring record with a goal in the first part of the
extra time. Morocco sealed a dominant performance when Walid El Karti
scored a penalty to put the result beyond Libya.
In the other
fixture between Nigeria and Sudan at the Grande Stade Marrakech, it was
the west Africans who took a first-half lead through Gabriel Okechukwu’s
16th minute goal.
The dynamics of the game changed in the
second-half as Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Ifeanyi was sent off. Both managers
quickly tinkered with their squads with a number of quick substitutions.
But Nigeria held on to set up a final with the hosts.
The
third-place match is scheduled for Marrakech on February 3 between
losing semi-finalists Libya and Sudan whiles the final will be in
Casablanca on Sunday February 4, 2018.