Algeria’s decisive CHAN 2025 play-off second leg against Gambia will go ahead as planned on Friday evening in Annaba, but with a revised kick-off time following travel delays for the visiting team.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that the match, originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT), has been pushed back by 90 minutes.
It will now kick off at 8:30 p.m. local time (7:30 p.m. GMT) at the 19-May 1956 Stadium.
CAF’s decision came in response to a request from the Gambian delegation, who had appealed for a full-day postponement after encountering significant travel disruption.
The team arrived in Annaba only on the morning of the match following a series of delays linked to a missed flight connection.
Gambia’s journey to Algeria was marred by logistical setbacks.
A delay on their initial flight from Banjul to Dakar caused them to miss their onward connection to Nouakchott, Mauritania, where they were forced to spend several unexpected hours.
They eventually departed Mauritania early on Friday, arriving in Algeria just hours before their scheduled fixture.
Although CAF rejected the Gambian FA’s plea to move the game to Saturday, it agreed to the later kick-off to allow the Scorpions additional time to prepare, thereby preventing a potential withdrawal from the tie.
The stakes remain high for both sides. The first leg, held in Gambia, ended in a goalless stalemate, leaving everything to play for in Annaba.
The winner of Friday’s clash will progress to the final tournament of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is reserved exclusively for players competing in their domestic leagues.
This year’s CHAN finals will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya later in the summer, marking a significant opportunity for local talent across the continent to shine on an international stage.
As both teams gear up for this crucial decider, attention now turns to how Gambia’s last-minute arrival might affect their performance.
Algeria, on home soil and better rested, may have the advantage — but in knockout football, nothing is certain.
