Niger and Guinea will kick off their TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaigns on Monday with a highly anticipated Group C clash in Kampala.
This marks only the second time the two nations have met at the CHAN finals, with both sides eager to start their 2025 journey on a winning note.
Their last encounter came in the 2016 edition, also in the group stage, where they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Niger twice took the lead — first through Mossi Moussa in the 37th minute, and again via Adamou Moussa early in the second half. However, Guinea responded almost immediately on both occasions, with Aboubacar Sylla equalising in the 38th minute and Kile Bangoura striking again to level the score.
In 2016, Guinea advanced to the knockout stages alongside Tunisia, while Niger were eliminated alongside Nigeria. This latest meeting offers Niger a chance at redemption and Guinea an opportunity to extend their impressive CHAN record.
For Niger, this will be their 15th CHAN match. Across their previous 14 games, they have faced 13 different opponents, with Ghana being the only team they had met twice — until now. Guinea becomes just the second side to face them more than once in the tournament’s history.
Against fellow West African teams, Niger have played four matches, winning twice, drawing once, and losing once. Their victories came against Ghana in 2011 and 2022, while their only defeat was a heavy loss to Nigeria. Notably, Niger have scored in all four of these matches, netting six goals and conceding six.
Guinea, on the other hand, have met West African opposition five times at CHAN, winning two, drawing two, and losing once. Their only defeat came in the 2016 third-place playoff against Côte d’Ivoire. They also suffered a penalty shootout loss to Mali in the 2020 semi-finals, but remain unbeaten in open play since 2018.
Interestingly, this is only the second time Guinea are facing the same team more than once at CHAN, having previously drawn twice with Zambia in 2016 and 2020.
With both teams eyeing a strong start, this Group C opener promises to be a fiercely contested battle — one that could set the tone for the rest of their tournament.
