Goals from Abeid Aly and Taghyoullah Denne handed the Les Mourabitones (pictured) a 2-1 win over struggling Sierra Leone in the first leg of their 2016 African Nations Championship on Sunday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

In a game of two halves, the Leone Stars started very slow and looked very tired.

Mauritania’s French coach, Corentin Martins side dominated from the start and, as a result, an early goal justified their determination for victory.

A Stunner from Asac Concorde defender, Abeid Aly from 30 meters beat Sierra Leone stopper for their opener inside five minutes from the start.

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Taghyoullah Denne extends the lead just before the half-time whistle from 12 yards after the center referee awarded a penalty for an untimely goalkeeping from the Sierra Leone stopper, Ibrahim Bah and was shown a yellow card for his late decision.

However, Sierra Leone was saved by the break and they returned from the dressing room a different team.

The visitors from Freetown tried to fight back in the second half in front of a quarter -capacity crowd.

Coach Bah’s men halving the deficit five minutes from time, a wonder striker from Sallieu Tarawallie to set up a tense second leg tie.

The local heroes from Sierra Leone are left with an uphill task heading into next week return leg at the same venue a slight edge for Mauritania.

Sierra Leone wasted few chances of their own in the later stage of the match, which could have handed them a draw.

Leone Stars starting team: Ibrahim Bah, Defenders: Saidu, I-Kamara, A-Suma, Y-Dunia, Midfielders: Captain S-Barrie DM, K- Quee, A-Kanu AM, Attackers: O-Tunronka, A- Bangura, S Tarawallie
Coach: Abudulai Bah

Mauritania Squad: Brahim Souleymane Diallo, Abou Sy, Oumar Ly, El Mustapha Diaw, Aly Abeid, Baghayogho Moussa (cap), Yali Dellahi Mohamed, Taghyoullah Denne, Samba Abdallahi, Mamadou Niass, Boubacar Beyguili
Coach: Corentin Martins

CHAN other Results:
NORTHERN ZONE: Monday, 15 June 2015, Morocco 1-1 Tunisia
Thursday, 18 June 2015, Holders, Libya 1-0 Tunisia
Sunday, 21 June 2015, Morocco vs Libya

WEST ZONE A: Saturday, 20 June 2015, Guinea-Bissau 1-1 Mali Senegal 3-1 Gambia, Sunday, 21 June 2015, Mauritania vs Sierra Leone Guinea vs Liberia pp

West B: Ghana v Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria v Burkina, Faso Niger v Togo

CENTRAL-EAST ZONE: Saturday, 20 June 2015, Tanzania 0-3 Uganda
Sunday, 21 June 2015, Djibouti vs Burundi, Ethiopia 2-0 Kenya

SOUTHERN ZONE: Saturday, 20 June 2015, Mozambique 5-1 Seychelles South Africa 3-0 Mauritius, Sunday, 21 June 2015, Zimbabwe 2-0 Comoros, Lesotho 0-0 Botswana, Namibia 2-1 Zambia