By 
Guinea opened their CHAN 2024 campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win over Niger on Monday evening at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
It wasn’t the most glamorous of matches, but it was a professional performance from the Syli Nationale, who showed control and defensive discipline to walk away with all three points in this Group C opener.
The decisive moment came just two minutes after the restart. Alhassane Bangoura delivered a low ball from the left flank, and Mohamed Bangoura II reacted first in the box, calmly guiding it into the bottom corner. There was a brief pause as the assistant flagged for offside, but VAR intervened and the goal stood — much to the relief and celebration of the Guinea bench.
Both teams had approached the match with caution, and the first half reflected that — full of fouls, midfield scrambles, and very few clear-cut chances. Guinea looked more settled, while Niger struggled to find rhythm going forward.
In the second half, Niger pushed harder in search of an equaliser. Substitute Abdoul-Latif Goumey came closest with a header that went just wide, while Ridouane Assane tried his luck from distance on a couple of occasions. Bilal Oumarou also offered some spark from wide positions, but Guinea’s backline held firm.
Mohamed Diabaté led by example at the heart of Guinea’s defence, with support from Ousmane Drame and Ibrahima Sankhon in midfield, who helped disrupt Niger’s build-up play. Goalkeeper Ousmane Camara didn’t have too much to do, but he stayed alert, especially during a nervy final stretch that saw Niger win several corners and throw bodies forward.
Eight minutes of added time only increased the pressure, but Guinea stayed composed. A last-ditch block in the 96th minute denied Assane, and when Kassali was flagged offside on a final run, the job was done.
The result puts Guinea in a strong early position in a tough group that also features Algeria, hosts Uganda, and South Africa.
For Niger, it’s a disappointing start, and they now face a must-win situation in their next match if they hope to stay in the race for the knockout stages.
