Algeria are one step away from sending their vociferous home fans into pandemonium after they punched their maiden ticket to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final following a 5-0 evisceration of Nigeria in a semi-final staged at the Oran Olympic Stadium on Tuesday 31st January.The hosts came into the encounter looking to better their best finish in the tournament after finishing fourth in the 2011 edition, with this being only their second berth in the competition.Matano reveals positions of strengthening in the mid-season transfer windowNiger, on the other hand, were the dark horses of the tournament having sealed their maiden semi-final ticket, having only previously reached the quarters once back in 2011.Buoyed by their boisterous home support, Algeria took only 15 minutes to open the scoring when Nigerien goalkeeper Mahamadou Djibo misjudged a corner that he tipped onto the path of Abdellaoui Zoheir who nodded home from close range.##NAJAVA_MECA_6988540##Rocked by the early opening goal, Niger soaked in the second eight minutes later when Aymen Mahious beat the offside trap to meet Draoui Zakaria’s well-threaded through pass and fired the ball into the roof of the net.Algeria were dangerous from set pieces as they added a third in the 34th minute when that man again Mahious who plies his trade with USM Alger headed in an inch-perfect free kick from Youcef Laouafi.Just when Niger thought they were headed into the break with a 3-0 deficit, Laouafi floated in a brilliant corner that cannoned off the hip of Boureima Katakore and into the net for a fortuitous own goal.##NAJAVA_MECA_6988898##French coach Jean Cavalli had some stern words for his charges at halftime, which was evidenced by the strong start to the closing half but they squandered a number of good chances to at least put some respect on the scoreline.With 21 minutes left on the clock, Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi preserved his top guns as he took off Ahmed Kendouci, Youcef Laouafi, Aymen Mahious, and Zineddine Belaid for Fethi Tahar, Houari Baouche, Soufiane Bayazid, and Ayoub Ghezala.Why Birgen thinks Ulinzi Stars can end 13-year wait for league titleAlgeria had time to add the fifth in the 83rd minute when Houssem Mrezigue’s cutback was tapped home from inside the six-yard box by substitute Soufiane Bayazid.The Desert Foxes held on for the 5-0 win to ensure they head into the final without conceding a goal in the entire tournament.
