Algeria secured her place in the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals after a dominant 3-0 victory over Gambia in Annaba on Friday.
Emerging talent Adil Boulbina netted twice to seal the win. The result gave Algeria a 3-0 aggregate triumph following a goalless first leg in Bakau.
The home side broke the deadlock just after halftime when Abderrahmane Meziane curled a low shot into the far corner past Gambian goalkeeper Lamin Saidy.
Boulbina, one of the standout performers in the domestic league with 15 goals this season, added a brace in the 71st and 91st minutes, both coming from well-executed team play.
The visitors faced a difficult build-up to the clash after travel issues left them stranded in Mauritania, and they only arrived in Annaba on the morning of the match, 420 kilometres east of the capital, Algiers.
Algeria will now compete in Group C of the CHAN finals alongside Uganda, Niger, Guinea, and either South Africa or Malawi.
The tournament, open only to players based in their home countries, will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from August 2 to 30. Originally scheduled for February, the event was postponed due to delayed preparations.
This will be ‘Algerias third appearance at CHAN, having previously finished fourth in 2011 and as runners-up in 2023 when they hosted the competition.
South Africa trail Malawi 1-0 heading into Sunday’s qualifier in Pretoria, and have strengthened their squad with six new players.
Gambia’s travel hitch
However in the build up to the match Gambia’s local national team faced a race against time as travel complications left them stranded in Mauritania just a day before the match.
The team was scheduled to travel to Annaba for the return fixture on Friday, May 9, with kickoff set for 18:00 GMT. However, in a twist that severely impacted their preparation and performance, the team was stuck in Nouakchott, Mauritania — a logistical setback confirmed by the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) in a statement released Thursday.
