Hosts Algeria face an uphill task in their quest to win their maiden African Nations Championship (CHAN) title when they take on an unpredictable Niger in the first semifinal match on Tuesday, January 31.
To reach the semifinals, Niger shocked Ghana 2-0 while Algeria edged Ivory Coast 1-0 in the quarterfinal games played on January 27 and 28 respectively.
In the group games, Algeria collected maximum points after beating Libya, Ethiopia and Mozambique on identical 1-0 score margins. In comparison, Niger emerged from tougher group in which they beat Cameroon (1-0) and drew 0-0 with Congo Brazzaville.
On the other hand, Senegal, who emerged from Group B despite losing to the Uganda Cranes (0-1) in one of the preliminary games, eliminated Mauritania with a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals.
The Senegalese will face Madagascar, who have been the most entertaining team in the tournament thus far. Madagascar dumped Mozambique after an emphatic 3-1 victory in the quarterfinal match on January 28.
SEMIFINAL FIXTURES:
Tuesday, January 31
Algeria vs Niger (7pm)
Senegal vs Madagascar (10pm)