CHAN 2024: Central African Republic qualify for the first time
For the first time in their history, the Central African Republic have qualified for the CHAN 2024 after beating Cameroon
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Beaten 0-1 in the first leg in Abidjan, the Fauves were left rueing their missed chances. Despite their underdog status, the Central African Republic had realised they could overturn a Cameroon side still weakened by internal problems.
After the failed bid to qualify for the 2022 AFCON, the Federation parted company with coach François Zahoui and brought back Raoul Savoy. Without his supposed leading figures and the expatriates, who were at odds with some officials over the running of the national team, the Swiss coach picked mostly home-based players: the solid centre-backs Niamathé and Ndobé, the lightning-quick right-back Yangao, the buzzing midfielder Ngoma and the creative Toropité.
Justice after the undeserved elimination by Congo at the 2023 CHAN
Unassuming, this generation shone against the Republic of Congo in the 2023 CHAN qualifiers. Sadly, highly contentious refereeing (two soft penalties awarded to Congo, Toropité injured in the return leg after a tackle that did not result in a sending-off, and so on) and the away goals rule stopped the Bamaras from qualifying.
Some players took advantage of that exposure, and that of the senior national team, to sign elsewhere (Freeman Niamathé joined Diables Noirs of Brazzaville, while Sadock Ndobé and Trésor Toropité moved to another Congolese club, AS Otoho), but this promising football nation still lacked the big breakthrough, forever falling short in the decisive match to qualify, at both the AFCON and the CHAN.
A generation's fulfilment
Led by a local coach who also looked after the U20 side, Sébastien Ngato, the Bamaras did not wilt as they so often had done, despite Cameroon taking the lead. Calmly, they levelled before half-time through Ndokomanji, who converted his penalty.
In a tense contest, the Central Africans made the difference in the 87th minute through Arnold Yangana, a young midfielder who earned his first senior caps last November. It was a fair reward for a process under way for more than three years and driven by their president, Célestin Yanindji, who was harshly criticised after the failure to qualify for the 2022 AFCON and who has since delivered several projects for the development of football in the Central African Republic.