CHAN 2016: Sunday Scores, Results, Updated Group Standings and Schedule
DR Congo and Cameroon, the favourites to advance from Group B of the 2016 African Nations Championship, got their campaigns off to a winning start on Sunday, beating Ethiopia and Angola respectively.
The Leopards cruised to a 3-0 win, courtesy of goals just before and after half-time, while a single strike from Yazid Atouba Emane midway through the first half was enough for Cameroon to take three points against Angola.
Here's a look at the full results from Sunday's action:
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
| DR Congo | 3-0 | Ethiopia |
| Angola | 0-1 | Cameroon |
The current Group B standings:
The schedule for the rest of the group stages:
| Jan. 18 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | C | Tunisia vs. Guinea |
| Jan. 18 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | C | Nigeria vs. Niger |
| Jan. 19 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | D | Zimbabwe vs. Zambia |
| Jan. 19 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | D | Mali vs. Uganda |
| Jan. 20 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | A | Rwanda vs. Gabon |
| Jan. 20 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | A | Morocco vs. Ivory Coast |
| Jan. 21 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | B | Congo vs. Angola |
| Jan. 21 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | B | Cameroon vs. Ethiopia |
| Jan. 22 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | C | Tunisia vs. Nigeria |
| Jan. 22 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | C | Niger vs. Guinea |
| Jan. 23 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | D | Zimbabwe vs. Mali |
| Jan. 23 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | D | Uganda vs. Zambia |
| Jan. 24 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | A | Morocco vs. Rwanda |
| Jan. 24 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | A | Ivory Coast vs. Gabon |
| Jan. 25 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | B | Ethiopia vs. Angola |
| Jan. 25 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | B | Cameroon vs. Congo |
| Jan. 26 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | C | Guinea vs. Nigeria |
| Jan. 26 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | C | Niger vs. Tunisia |
| Jan. 27 | 1 p.m. / 8 a.m. | D | Zambia vs. Mali |
| Jan. 27 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | D | Uganda vs. Zimbabwe |
Recap
DR Congo were expected to dispose of Ethiopia with relative ease and did just that, dominating possession and opening the score just before half-time through Guy Lusadisu. Heritier Luvumvu doubled the lead early in the second half, and Meschack Elia put the final score on the board after 56 minutes.
Ethiopia are still looking for their first ever CHAN point, and 2009 champions DR Congo outplayed them in every phase, highlighted by these stats shared by the Confederation of African Football's official Twitter account:
The Leopards looked particularly dominant in the air, scoring their first two goals with powerful headers. The 2009 champions aren't expected to face their first real test until their third match of the group stages, against Cameroon, and judging by their early-tournament form, even the Intermediate Lions will struggle against DR Congo.
A warm-up match against Ethiopia, who boast a lot of talent but have limited tournament experience, was exactly the way the team wanted to start this year's CHAN. Per SuperSport's Colin Udoh, DR Congo made a big statement:
Cameroon didn't have it nearly as easily against Angola, finishing their match with 10 men after Joseph Ngwem saw a second yellow card just 20 minutes into the second half. Atouba Emane had given the team the lead in the first half, and the 10 remaining Lions held off their opponents until the final whistle.
Atouba Emane gave the Intermediate Lions the lead with a well-struck free-kick after 24 minutes, a big boost after Angola had frustrated Cameroon during the opening stages. Palancas Negras have smartly built their national team around home-based players, which means their CHAN 2016 squad is a lot more experienced than that of most of their opponents.
Cameroon's quality shone through in the second half, however, particularly after Ngwem's red card. The loss of Ngwem in their next match will be a big factor, although the Intermediate Lions should still beat Ethiopia with relative ease.
