Madagascar left Nairobi on Sunday morning only to make a historic U-turn at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday evening.
The “Barea” defeated fancied Sudan 1-0 in their 2024 African Nations championship semi-final match yesterday to qualify for their first-ever final.
They will meet either Morocco or Senegal in the final on Sunday at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in Nairobi.
Two-time champions Morocco faced the reigning champions last night at the Mandela Stadium, Namboole in Kampala.
Substitute Toky Rakotondraibe was the hero for the Malagasy, tapping home the winner in the 115th minute.
Rakotondraibe’s goal marked the first time that Sudan conceding first in a match during the tournament, and that lapse of concentration put them on the plane to Kampala, where they will contest the third-place play-off on Friday.
The result saw Sudan, coached by the Ghanaian Kwesi Appiah, become the first country to lose three semi-finals at Chan.
A similar result this year will still be worth applauding. Sudan competed against the backdrop of civil war in their country.
Their league was cancelled after the war broke out in April 2023 and only resumed in July this year. Their top clubs, Al Hilal and Al Merreikh, kept active by playing in Mauritania’s top division.
Madagascar have also had an incredible journey at 2024 Chan under the guidance of the 60-year-old Romuald Rakotondrabe who guided them to a third-place finish when they made their debut in the 2022 edition held in Algeria last year.
The Baream who have won four out of the five matches, started with a 0-0 draw against Mauritania in their Group “B” opener before losing 2-1 to Tanzania.
They bounced back to beat the Central African Republic 2-0 and Burkina Faso 2-1 to finish second in their group.
In the quarter-final, against the odds, they defeated Kenya 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes of play.
Sudan eliminated feared Algeria 4-2 in penalty shoot-outs following 1-1 draw in regulation and extra-time on Saturday.
However, the Falcons of Jediane were cut down to size by the resilient Barea, who played with 10 men from the 78th minute after Fenohasina Razafimaro was shown a red card for a reckless challenge.
The first half had ended goalless, but it was Madagascar who dominated proceedings. Sudan, who appeared jaded, withstood heavy bombardment on their goal in the first 15 minutes, with their goalkeeper, Mohamed Al Nour, keeping them in the game.
When Sudan finally attacked, their attempts almost wrote contrasting headlines for the captains of the two teams.
In the 16th minute, a Sudan attack resulted in Madagascar’s captain Nantenaina “Tony” Randriamanampisoa scoring an own goal after a clearance by a teammate rebounded off his back into the net. However, the goal was cancelled due to an offside in the buildup.
Three minutes later, Sudan’s captain Walieldin Safour almost scored his second goal of the tournament, but his free kick was kept out by Madagascar’s impregnable 39-year-old goalkeeper, Michel Ramandimbisoa, who, going into the match, had saved 21 of the 25 shots he had faced in the competition.
The halftime team talks did not change the match’s script in the second half. Madagascar continued attacking, and Sudan kept surviving on their opponent’s profligacy.
Madagascar were reduced to 10 in the 78th minute when their number nine, Fenohasina Razafimaro, was sent off for a reckless challenge on Sudan’s Mohamed Shambaly.
It was the second red card for Madagascar in the tournament, adding to Andriamirado Andrianarimanana’s sending off in their opening match against Mauritania.
Sudan would have completed the job in the 89th minute, but their captain Safour, hit the ball over the bar from close range.
