Senegal manager Pape Thiaw said they have their sights on bringing the 2022 African Nations Championship trophy home after beating Madagascar 1-0 in the semi-final.
An early goal by Pape Diallo was more than enough for the Teranga Lions to reach their first-ever CHAN final, where they will face hosts Algeria. It will be a rematch of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final which the Desert Foxes won 1-0 in Cairo.
Thiaw also cited the defensive solidity of his team as a factor Tuesday’s victory with the West African giants conceding just once all tournament.
“We are happy because this is what we wanted to achieve in this competition. We did this for the sake of our local football. We wanted to showcase our football,” Thiaw said on the CAF website.
“we want our country to be proud of us and we want to return to Senegal with the CHAN title.
“What I like about our team is the defensive efficiency. We have not conceded apart from the against Uganda.
“We played against a good team. We knew more about them after analysing their games. Our players are young and we should congratulate them.”
A moment of history for Senegal 🇸🇳
The Lions of Teranaga book their place in the #TotalEnergiesCHAN final for the first-ever time! 🦁#TotalEnergiesCHAN2022 | @Fsfofficielle pic.twitter.com/ziyP865BRC
— MARHABA (@CAF_Online) January 31, 2023
Senegal face a very tricky test against Algeria who trashed Niger 5-0 in the other semi-final. The North African giants have not let a single goal past them all tournament. Thiaw asserted his team are ready to give their 100 percent.
“We will face Algeria in the final. The game will be played in front of their fans. We will study them and see how to handle it. A final is a final.
“This final was expected by many. We will give everything. We represent our country, know our skills, and we will try to continue our way.”
The 2022 CHAN final will be played on Saturday in front of a packed crowd of 40,000 fans at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.
