Senegal are champions of the 2023 CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament, edging host nation Algeria 5-4 on penalties in a tightly contested final on Saturday night in the North African country.

The competition, initially marred by controversy after Morocco national team were denied entry into the country due to long-standing diplomatic rift, began on January 13 and ended yesterday at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki Algiers in Algeria. 

Algeria were the favourites coming into the final, thanks to a massive home support and given they have the best record from the group stage all through to the final. They were undefeated in the previous rounds while Senegal lost a game to Uganda in the group stage.

But those advantages were not enough to derail the Senegalese contingent from claiming honour inside the enemy’s territory.

Amid huge support from the thousands of Algerians in the stands and roughly 200 times more than their Senegalese counterparts, who were less than 300, both the regulation and extra time ended in a goalless draw as the game went into penalties.

The Lions of Teranga came out 5-4 victorious after penalties shootout to become the first West African country to lift the biennial football showpiece for African players plying trade in their home country’s national leagues.

Senegal are now the holder of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which they won last year in Cameroon, the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON), a record seventh title also won last year in Mozambique and now CHAN.