Chan 2022 : Competition Rumbles Off

The seventh edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2022) kicked off at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki, a suburb in Algiers on Friday January 13, 2023. During the opening game, Algeria beat Libya 1-0 thanks to a penalty taken at the 57th minute by Aymen Mahious. 
Algeria, considered as favourites intend to win the competition reserved for footballers playing in their national championships for the first time having finished fourth in a previous appearance 12 years ago. Among the top personalities at the 40, 000 capacity Nelson Mandela Stadium were the Algerian Prime Minister, Aymen Benabderrahmane, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the President of CAF, Patrice Motsepe as well as a cream of former footballers. From the victory, Algeria are top of Group A with three points while Libya sit bottom. 
A total of 17 are countries hoping to succeed Morocco as winners of a tournament first staged in 2009 and won by DR Congo in Côte d’Ivoire. However, Morocco withdrew at the last minute after Algeria refused to authorise a direct flight that would have taken the delegation from Rabat to Constantine, the Group C base. Among the effects of diplomatic ties between the North African neighbours being cut is a ban since 2021 on Moroccan aircraft entering Algerian airspace. Morocco had hoped to win a third consecutive CHAN title having beaten Nigeria 4-0 in the 2018 final in Casablanca and Mali 2-0 in the follo...