Morocco’s home-based national team (Atlas Lions) confirmed their dominance in African football after clinching the African Nations Championship (CHAN) title for the third time, following a thrilling 3–2 victory over Madagascar in the final played on Saturday night at Moi Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.
This marks Morocco’s third CHAN triumph, after their successes in 2018 and 2020, making them the first nation to win the title three times.
Madagascar stunned many in the 9th minute with a long-range strike from Félicité Manohantsoa, giving them an early lead.
However, Morocco quickly responded through Youssef Mehri’s header in the 27th minute, before Oussama Lamlioui added a second in the 44th to send the Atlas Lions into halftime with a 2–1 advantage.
Madagascar refused to give up. In the 68th minute, substitute Toky Rakotondraibe restored parity, sparking renewed hope and silencing the Moroccan supporters momentarily.
But in the 80th minute, Lamlioui delivered the decisive blow with a spectacular strike from 40 yards out, spotting Madagascar’s goalkeeper off his line and firing straight into the net — a wonder goal that sealed Morocco’s historic triumph.
With his brace in the final, Lamlioui finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and was named man of the match.
Despite the defeat, Madagascar won the admiration of many across the continent. It was their first appearance in a CHAN final, and they became the first island nation to reach the final of a CAF competition — a promising sign for their footballing future.
The victory cemented Morocco’s status as the dominant force in CHAN history. They received a prize of USD 3.5 million, while Madagascar took home USD 1.2 million as runners-up.
The 2024 CHAN, themed “Pamoja” and jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, concluded in style, with a packed Kasarani crowd witnessing one of the most thrilling finals in recent African football history.
