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Carly Ekongo came off the bench to rescue a vital point for Congo as they drew 1-1 with Sudan in a tense Group D opener at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024, held at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday night.
In their first-ever CHAN meeting, it was Sudan who struck first. After a spell of dominance, Musa Hussien opened the scoring in the 29th minute, pouncing on a rebound after his initial shot was blocked by Congo goalkeeper Ulrich Samba.
The Sudanese maintained early control, with Salah Adil heading wide and midfielder Abdel Raouf Yagoub dictating the tempo. Congo offered little in the first half but nearly equalised through Chadrac Osseby and Charles Atipo before the break.
In the second half, Congo coach Barthélemy Ngatsono made a bold triple substitution—introducing Ekongo, Grace Mavoungou, and Grace Nsemi at the hour mark—which breathed new life into the Red Devils.
Sudan, however, nearly sealed victory in stoppage time when Mazin Simbo’s header was brilliantly kept out by Samba.
Moments later, Congo made their pressure count. In the 90+6 minute, Ekongo reacted first to a loose ball in the box and drilled home a low finish, sparking wild celebrations from the Congolese bench.
The result ended Congo’s three-match CHAN goal drought stretching back to 2020 and earned them a valuable point to kickstart their fifth tournament appearance. Sudan, meanwhile, extended their winless run in open play at CHAN to five matches but showed signs of improvement after a poor 2022 outing.
Congo will next face reigning champions Senegal, while Sudan prepare for a crucial clash with Nigeria in what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive Group D.
