Uganda Look For Fast Start in Opening Clash With Algeria

Co-hosts Uganda begin their TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), PAMOJA 2024 campaign with a challenging fixture against Algeria in Kampala on Monday.

The game marks the second meeting between the two nations at CHAN, and Uganda will hope to rewrite history in front of their home supporters, having never advanced past the group stage in six previous attempts.

Algeria, meanwhile, are among the tournament’s most consistent performers and will be looking to build on their runner-up finish at the last edition.

The two sides first met in CHAN at the 2011 tournament in Sudan. It was the debut match for both nations in the competition, played on 5 February 2011 in Khartoum. Algeria secured a 2-0 win, with Abdelmoumene Djabou opening the scoring in the 18th minute before El Hilal Soudani doubled the lead midway through the second half.

This will be Uganda’s fourth game against a North African side at CHAN, and their record in such matches is a concern. They lost 2-0 to Algeria in 2011 and suffered two defeats to Morocco—3-1 in 2014 and 5-2 in 2020.

For Algeria, this marks the third time they face the host nation at CHAN. In 2011, they drew 0-0 with hosts Sudan in the group stage and later lost 1-0 to the same side in the third-place play-off. The fixture is also Algeria’s fifth against East African opponents. They have defeated both Uganda and Ethiopia (2-0 and 1-0, respectively) while managing a draw and a loss against Sudan.

In these four previous matches against East African teams, Algeria have kept three clean sheets and conceded just once. Only one team has scored in each of these encounters, with three matches producing winners and one ending in a goalless draw.

Uganda – Key Facts

·       Appearing at their seventh CHAN finals, becoming the first nation to qualify for seven consecutive editions

·       Uganda and DR Congo are tied for most overall appearances at CHAN (7 each)

·       Yet to progress beyond the group stage in any of their six previous appearances

·       Only missed the inaugural edition in 2009, featuring in every tournament since 2011

·       Opening game record: P6 W1 D3 L2

·       Only opening win was against Burkina Faso in 2014

·       Lost their first games to Algeria in 2011 (2-0) and Zambia in 2018 (3-1)

·       Drew opening matches against Mali (2-2 in 2016), Rwanda (0-0 in 2020), and DR Congo (0-0 in 2022)

·       In 18 CHAN games, Uganda have won just two—against Burkina Faso in 2014 and Senegal in 2022

·       Defeated Senegal 1-0 in their second group game at the last edition, ending a 12-game winless run (D6 L6)

Algeria – Key Facts

·       Have won both of their CHAN opening matches: 2-0 vs Uganda (2011) and 1-0 vs Libya (2022)

·       Reached at least the semi-finals in both previous appearances, finishing fourth in 2011 and as runners-up in 2022

·       Did not concede a single goal during the 2022 edition, keeping six clean sheets

·       Only defeat at the last tournament came in the final, losing to Senegal on penalties

·       Undefeated in CHAN group stage matches: W4 D2

·       Won all three group games at the 2022 edition by 1-0 margins (vs Libya, Ethiopia, and Sudan)

·       In 2011, beat Uganda 2-0, drew 2-2 with Gabon, and drew 0-0 with Sudan

·       Have kept five clean sheets in six group matches, only conceding in a 2-2 draw with Gabon

·       Have gone 622 minutes without conceding a goal at CHAN; last goal conceded was in the 37th minute of the 2011 third-place play-off against Sudan

·       Across 12 CHAN matches, Algeria have recorded 9 clean sheets; all four goals conceded came in 2011

·       Overall record in CHAN: W7 D4 L1 (only open-play loss to Sudan in 2011)

·       Failed to score in just three CHAN games—twice against Sudan (2011) and once against Senegal (2022 final)

·       Biggest CHAN win: 5-0 vs Niger in the 2022 semi-finals

·       Qualified for the 2022 edition by beating Gambia 3-0 on aggregate (0-0 away, 3-0 home)

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