CHAN 2024 Qualifiers: Away Teams Dominate in Thrilling First Leg Clashes

Guinea kicked off the action with a commanding 4-1 win over Guinea-Bissau on Friday, December 20. The following day, Angola impressed with a 2-0 away victory against Lesotho, while Zambia dominated Mozambique in a 3-0 triumph on the road. Madagascar also secured a valuable 2-0 away win against Eswatini, and DR Congo showed resilience by managing a 1-1 draw away to Chad.

Sunday's matches brought more drama and surprises. Côte d'Ivoire took a commanding 2-0 lead over Burkina Faso, with Oumar Konaté netting both goals. South Sudan edged past Rwanda in a thrilling 3-2 encounter at the Juba National Stadium, giving themselves a slight advantage for the return fixture.

Sudan impressed with a 2-0 victory over Ethiopia in a match played in Libya, demonstrating their intent to qualify for the finals. Cameroon secured an important 1-0 away win against Central African Republic, while Mauritania narrowly defeated Mali 1-0.

The clash between Ghana and Nigeria, dubbed the "Jollof Derby," ended in a goalless draw at the Accra Sports Stadium, leaving everything to play for in the second leg. Defending champions Senegal were held to a 1-1 draw by Liberia in Monrovia, with Seydina Mbaye scoring for Senegal before Bility equalized late for the hosts.

Other results saw Equatorial Guinea and Congo play out a 0-0 draw, while Togo and Niger also finished 1-1.

The return legs are scheduled between December 25-29, 2024. With several teams holding advantages from their away performances, the second leg promises to be filled with drama as teams fight for a spot in the CHAN 2024 finals, set to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from February 1-28, 2025.