Senegal and Madagascar will go head-to-head in the second semifinal of the day on Tuesday.
Senegal’s coach Pape Thiaw has expressed belief that his Teranga Lions have the tools to face Madagascar in the African Nations Championship, CHAN, semifinal.
Both nations will lock horns on Tuesday night in Algeria when CHAN returns for the last four to determine who goes through to the final.
Both nations are looking to make history in the competition with the Teranga Lions hoping to overcome the unbeaten and stubborn Madagascar side.
Madagascar have been one of the surprise packages of the 2022 campaign, having won four of their five matches so far in the tournament, with the other game a draw.
However, Thiaw has admitted that the Malagasy side will be a difficult nut to crack but he insists his Lions must focus on themselves as they have the tools and weapons to face their opponents.
“We know that Madagascar has special players, and they have skills,” Thiaw said in his pre-match press conference on Monday.
“We are focusing on the match. We have our means and our weapons, and we will show that during the match. I hope our weapons are effective and good."
The journey to semis
The Teranga Lions of Senegal started their journey in Algeria on a winning note after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Ivory Coast in their opener.
However, they lost by the same score line in their second game against Uganda before they bounced back emphatically against Congo to seal a place in the quarterfinals.
In the last eight, it was another keenly contested encounter between them and Mauritania before Thiaw and his Lions overcame courtesy of a penalty to book their place in the last four.
Despite the task ahead of them, Thiaw believes his side has what it takes to take on Madagascar.
“We do not focus too much on the opponent. It is not surprising for us that they reached the semi-finals and their players have shown their potential. We understand why they reached this level,” he added.
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