The “Atlas Lions” are compelled to secure a victory against Zambia in their upcoming match, scheduled for Thursday at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. This match is part of the fourth round of the group stage in the African Nations Championship (CHAN). Meanwhile, the Kenyan national team has taken a significant step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals after their win over Morocco last Sunday, which ended 1-0.
The Atlas Lions, currently in third place with 3 points alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, must leverage all their strategies to win against Zambia. The goal is to avoid complicated scenarios and hope to continue their journey in this continental championship smoothly.
After starting their campaign in this edition of CHAN with a 2-0 victory over Angola, Morocco, which has not lost in a streak of 14 matches in this tournament, needs a strong response against Zambia to avoid an early exit from the competition.
Kenya, co-hosting this edition of the tournament, has made significant progress toward achieving a historic quarter-final qualification in their first appearance. This comes after their victory over Morocco.
Kenya will have ample time to prepare for their final, decisive group match against Zambia, being exempt from the next round. They will enter this match with high morale following their win against one of the tournament’s top contenders.
On the other hand, Angola, in second place with 4 points, will spare no effort to win their match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, a two-time champion alongside Morocco. The Democratic Republic of Congo is considered one of the main contenders for the title. Therefore, Angola aims to increase their points gap and secure the second qualifying spot for the quarter-finals.
In Group B, Tanzania secured a place in the knockout stages of CHAN after defeating Madagascar 2-1, becoming the first team to advance to the next round in this tournament.
Tanzania displayed a strong attacking performance during the group stage, achieving three victories in three matches against Burkina Faso (2-0), Mauritania (1-0), and Madagascar (2-1).
Mauritania, currently in second place in this group with 4 points, is threatened by Burkina Faso, which stands in third with 3 points. Mauritania earned their points from a draw (0-0) against Madagascar, a loss to Tanzania (0-1), and a victory over the Central African Republic (1-0). They will face Burkina Faso in the fourth round in what is likely to be a decisive and challenging match for both teams.
For Madagascar, sitting in fourth place with one point, and the Central African Republic, at the bottom without points, their chances of competing for a spot in the next round seem increasingly complicated. This challenge is particularly daunting against teams that are in better positions and looking to secure the second qualifying spot for the quarter-finals.
Source
