Egypt's NUCA, SHMFF sign New Cairo land allocation for integrated urban project    CIB named Egypt's Bank of the Year 2025 as factoring portfolio hits EGP 4bn    Egypt declares Red Sea's Great Coral Reef a new marine protected area    Oil prices edge higher on Thursday    Gold prices fall on Thursday    Egypt, Volkswagen discuss multi-stage plan to localise car manufacturing    Egypt denies coordination with Israel over Rafah crossing    Egypt to swap capital gains for stamp duty to boost stock market investment    Egypt tackles waste sector funding gaps, local governance reforms    Egypt, Switzerland explore expanded health cooperation, joint pharmaceutical ventures    Egypt recovers two ancient artefacts from Belgium    Private Egyptian firm Tornex target drones and logistics UAVs at EDEX 2025    Egypt opens COP24 Mediterranean, urges faster transition to sustainable blue economy    Egypt's Abdelatty urges deployment of international stabilisation force in Gaza during Berlin talks    Egypt, Saudi nuclear authorities sign MoU to boost cooperation on nuclear safety    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Congo claims maiden CHAN
Al-Ahram Weekly Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 12 - 03 - 2009

DR CONGO made history by becoming the first team to win the inaugural African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The Leopards of Congo beat Ghana 2-0 in the final played on Sunday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Second half strikes from Kaluyituka Dioko and Mbenza Bedi ensured the Congolese became the first winners of the competition restricted to footballers playing in their country of birth.
The result was also a perfect revenge for the Leopards, who had suffered a 0-3 loss at the hands of their West African counterparts in their earlier meeting at the group phase.
It was a well deserved victory for the Congolese as they completely outplayed the Ghanaians to claim their first major championship since the 1974 African Cup of Nations feat in Cairo, Egypt.
The Congolese started brightly and made clear their intentions from the very beginning with deadly striker Tresor Mputu Mabi coming close twice in the first and fourth minutes.
The Congolese appeared more organised and confirmed that with dominance in possession as the Ghanaians laboured in search of the rhythm.
On the 12th minute mark, Black Stars goalie Philemon MacCarthy scored full marks as he parried away Mputu's goalbound shot from a goalmouth action.
For Ghana, Asampong Taylor's drive with the outside of his right foot and Ibrahim Ayew near misses was all they could boast of as an attempt at goal in the early stages.
The Congolese were very swift on the counter and anytime they moved the Ghanaian defence was found wanting.
Ghana's Black Stars were unlucky to have gone up after Edmund Owusu-Ansah header from Taylor's cross missed narrowly after the latter had headed past onrushing Leopards goalie Kidiaba Muteba.
The Congolese resumed the second half strongly and took the lead under a minute into the half through Kaluyituka who headed home from Lofo Bongeli's cross, which beat the Ghanaian defence.
The Leopards maintained their dominance and succeeded in authenticating their lead on 74 minutes through Mbenza Bedi who blasted past MacCarthy from Lofo again from the left.
The remainder of the game belonged to the Congolese as they taught their Ghanaian counterparts some football lessons, characterised by circuit passes as the packed crowd jeered on.
Cote d'Ivoire, hosts of this maiden edition of the CHAN, passed on the mantle to next hosts, Sudan for the 2011 edition.
The passing-on of the mantle was one of many scenes that climaxed the closing ceremony of the inaugural championship.
Local Organising Committee Chairman Jacques Anouma handed over the CAF flag to Mutasim Gafaar, vice president of the Sudanese Football Association flanked by CAF President Issa Hayatou.
The host nation was also presented with a trophy dubbed "Reconciliation trophy" by the United Nations for the successful hosting of an event "that has unified the entire populace."
The closing ceremony that preceded the final was climaxed with musical performance from some top Ivorian artistes including DJ Lewis.
But it was the all-rhythmic football game that drew the applause of the over 35,000 persons at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, among which included Cote d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbabgo.
The performances kept the fans on their toes and the icing on the cake was the spirited performances by the two teams in the grand finale.
Eights teams competed in the inaugural edition of the newest competition on the CAF calendar.
Given Singuluma (Zambie) was named top scorer with five goals, Alain Kaluyitukadioko (DR Congo) was second with three goals while Bongeli Lofo (DR Congo),Yaw Antwi, Ibrahim Ayew, Edmund Owusu Ansah (Ghana), Alpha Oumar Sow (Senegal) and Philip Marufu (Zimbabwe) scored two goals each.
Charles Asampong Taylor (Ghana), Ahmed Osman (Libya), Trésor Mabi Mputu (RD Congo), Mamadou Baila Traoré (Senegal), Mbenza Bedi (DR Congo), Mrisho Alfani Ngasa, Nsajigwa Shadrack (Tanzania), Dennis Banda, Simon Bwalya (Zambia), Ovidy Karuru (Zimbabwe), each scored once.
The tournament's final ranking came as follows: DR Congo, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Libya and Côte d'Ivoire.

Clic here to read the story from its source.