CHAN: Kwesi Appiah 100 percent satisfied with Sudan’s tournament

Sudan head coach Kwesi Appiah has admitted to being impressed with the team’s overall performance at the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) despite missing out on a medal against Senegal at Nelson Mandela Stadium on Friday.

The Falcons of Jediane lost the third place play off to the Lions of Teranga following a 4-2 defeat on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal and extra-time.

Sudan had taken the lead in the sixth minute when Mohamed Tia Asad rose highest to power home a header from Abdel Raouf Yagoub’s corner, but Senegal levelled matters in the 58th minute when Seyni Ndiaye’s precise header found the net, after a cross from Ousseynou Seck.

“Good evening. Personally, I believe that when you enter a competition, the goal is always to win. But given the circumstances our team faces, I am 100% satisfied with the position we achieved,” Appiah said after the game as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“Over the past two years, working with the Sudan national team has been a challenge… Even so, as a coach, I always try to prepare them as best as possible for the matches.”

The Ghanaian coach concluded: “We came very far with limited preparation. I am proud of how the team fought. Sudanese football has shown it still has heart.”

With the bronze medal already secured by Senegal, the CHAN final will be held on Saturday between Morocco and Madagascar at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.