Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has tipped impressive Sudan to
go all the way to the finals as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) curtain
falls on Saturday.
After three weeks of entertaining football from
19 nations across the three co-host nations, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the
battles continue this evening with four contenders eyeing the big prize.
The dark horses, Sudan, will battle the
unpredictable Madagascar at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, while
defending champions Senegal take on two-time winners Morocco at the Nelson
Mandela Stadium in Kampala.
Wanyama, who is the CHAN Ambassador, has placed
his stake on Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane and the Atlas Lions to reign supreme in
the semifinals.
Speaking during the new CHAN trophy tour on NTV
on Monday, 25 August 2025, the former Harambee Stars midfielder said the
impressive Sudan, who hammered Nigeria 4-0 in Group D, are favourites against
the Islanders.
Sudanese, under Ghanaian head coach Kwesi
Appiah, are making their third-ever CHAN semi-final appearance and have their
eyes on the prize, having lost the last two encounters to Angola in 2011 and
Nigeria in 2018.
Wanyama believes Sudan, who hammered Nigeria
4-0 in the group, have pedigree and start as favorites against Madagascar.
Appiah’s men finished top in a group that had
Senegal, Nigeria and Congo Brazzaville before beating Algeria 4-2 on penalties
following a 1-1 draw in the quarters.
“Sudan have surprised many people, and I
believe they have an edge over Madagascar. They haven’t lost any game and they
get better as the tournament enters the business end,” said Wanyama.
However, they have to be at their best to
overcome the resilient South African “Islanders,” who finished second in Group
B that had Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, and Mauritania, having only
fallen to hosts Tanzania.
Under head coach Romuald Rakotondrabe,
Madagascar broke co-hosts Kenya’s hearts with a 4-3 win on penalties in the
quarterfinals after rallying from behind to force a 1-1 draw.
They will be seeking their first finals berth, having finished third in
their maiden appearance in the 2022 edition in Algeria with a 1-0 win over
Niger.
Wanyama also backs Morocco to rise above
defending champions Senegal, after silencing hosts Tanzania with a 1-0 win in
the quarters.
The Atlas Lions finished second to Kenya in Group A with three wins and a
loss to hosts Harambee Stars. They beat Angola, Zambia and DR Congo before
overcoming Taifa Stars.
Defending champions Senegal will, however,
give the Moroccans a hard time, having overcome another co-host Uganda 1-0 in
the quarters. Senegal finished second in Group D with a win against Uganda and
two draws against Sudan and Congo.
“The most thrilling game I have watched was
Kenya against Morocco. The red card Kenya got made it difficult for the hosts
but they stood firm. Harambee Stars played well under McCarthy, I was impressed
by Mansour Okwaro and Austin Odhiambo,” said Wanyama.
The former Tottenham star also believes Kenya,
Uganda and Tanzania did fairly well on and off the pitch, and the hosts should
build on this towards the 2027 AFCON, which will be hosted by the three East
African nations under the “PAMOJA” umbrella.
The finals take place on Saturday, August 30,
2025, at Kasarani Stadium, while the third-place playoff will be played on
Friday, August 29, 2025, at the Mandela Stadium in Kampala.
