Burkina Faso bounced back from a disappointing opening-day defeat to secure a 4-2 victory over tournament debutants Central African Republic (CAR) in a six-goal thriller at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium. The win breathes new life into the Stallions’ CHAN 2024 campaign and puts them in contention for a place in the knockout stage.
The match, played in Dar es Salaam, was a high-paced affair from the opening whistle. Burkina Faso’s Papus Ouattara struck first in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a loose ball from a corner to give his side the lead. However, CAR, making their historic first appearance at the CHAN finals, responded just four minutes later when Sydney Tchibinda curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner, scoring the nation’s first-ever goal in the competition.
The teams went into halftime level at 1-1, but the second half belonged to Burkina Faso. A VAR review led to a penalty in the 57th minute, which Abdoul Abass Guiro calmly converted to restore the Stallions’ lead. The Central Africans, despite a spirited performance and a powerful shot from Dimitri Kogbeto that hit the crossbar, couldn’t find a second equalizer.
Burkina Faso extended their lead in the 78th minute with another penalty, this time converted by captain Patrick Malo after Abdoul Baguian was fouled in the box. Baguian then capped off his inspired performance with a goal of his own in the 84th minute, putting the game out of reach at 4-1. A late consolation goal from Ange Zoumara in stoppage time was not enough for CAR, and the match finished 4-2.
The victory gives Burkina Faso three points in Group B, reviving their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, CAR, despite the defeat, can take positives from their impressive debut and will look to regroup for their next match against Madagascar.
Tickets to CHAN are up for sale and can be bought from the platforms below:
1. Kenya – chan.mookh.com – Ordinary Ksh. 200 , VIP Ksh. 500 and VVIP Ksh. 1,000
2. Uganda – chan.tkt.ug – Ordinary UGX 10,000, VIP UGX 30,000 and VVIP UGX 50,000
3. Tanzania – chantz.kimtandao.co.tz
Here is the full list of remaining group matches for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), being co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. All kick-off times are listed in East Africa Time (EAT).
Thursday, August 7
Group A: DR Congo vs Zambia (16:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Group A: Angola vs Kenya (19:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Friday, August 8
Group C: Algeria vs South Africa (17:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Group C: Guinea vs Uganda (20:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Saturday, August 9
Group B: Central African Republic vs Mauritania (17:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Group B: Tanzania vs Madagascar (20:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Sunday, August 10
Group A: Kenya vs Morocco (15:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Group A: Zambia vs Angola (18:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Monday, August 11
Group C: South Africa vs Guinea (17:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Group C: Uganda vs Niger (20:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Tuesday, August 12
Group D: Senegal vs Congo (17:00) – Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Group D: Sudan vs Nigeria (20:00) – Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Wednesday, August 13
Group B: Madagascar vs Central African Republic (17:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Group B: Mauritania vs Burkina Faso (20:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Thursday, August 14
Group A: Morocco vs Zambia (17:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Group A: Angola vs DR Congo (20:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Friday, August 15
Group C: Guinea vs Algeria (17:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Group C: Niger vs South Africa (20:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Saturday, August 16
Group B: Burkina Faso vs Madagascar (20:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Group B: Central African Republic vs Tanzania (20:00) – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Sunday, August 17
Group A: DR Congo vs Morocco (15:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Group A: Kenya vs Zambia (15:00) – Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani), Nairobi, Kenya
Monday, August 18
Group C: Algeria vs Niger (20:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Group C: South Africa vs Uganda (20:00) – Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), Kampala, Uganda
Tuesday, August 19
Group D: Nigeria vs Congo (20:00) – Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Group D: Sudan vs Senegal (20:00) – Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar, Tanzania