“Mohamed Salah’s Egypt set up an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final against Sadio Mane’s Senegal on Wednesday with a nail-biting 3-2 win against Ivory Coast. The former Liverpool team-mates will meet after a quarter-final in which the holders Ivory Coast crumbled in the first half, before recovering and almost forcing extra time. Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush slotted Egypt ahead in the fourth minute after a mix-up in the Ivorian midfield and defence. Egypt then extended their lead in the 32nd minute with Ramy Rabia’s looping header from a Salah corner. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
BBC: Salah outshines Amad
YouTube: Egypt vs Ivory Coast | HIGHLIGHTS
Algeria 0 Nigeria 2: Osimhen’s leap, Iwobi’s pass and what happened after full-time?
“Nigeria produced a statement win against Algeria to power their way to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals, where they will face hosts Morocco on Wednesday. They had plenty of chances to go ahead in the first half. Rayan Ait-Nouri made a strong challenge to dispossess Victor Osimhen in the area, while Ramy Bensebaini was forced into a goal-line clearance in the 29th minute. With just goalkeeper Luca Zidane to beat in the 37th minute, Akor Adams blasted over the bar — and it looked as if Nigeria might be made to rue those missed opportunities. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)
BBC: Nigeria’s attacking machine on top
YouTube: Algeria vs Nigeria | HIGHLIGHTS
Didier Drogba leaves the presidential palace in October 2005 after a ceremony to celebrate World Cup qualification
“At last, Morocco have arrived at the tournament they are hosting. For four games they had played scratchy, crabbed football. Finally, in a spiky, ill-tempered quarter-final, there was something more like the Morocco that reached the semi-final of the World Cup two years ago. If the game wasn’t fluent, that was largely Cameroon’s doing as they spoiled and delayed and sought treatment for injuries. But the hosts, for the most part, retained their cool, protecting a lead earned with verve in the first half with maturity in the second. …”
Iliman Ndiaye netted his first goal at Afcon 2025 to send 2021 champions Senegal into the last four
“The Supercopa de Espana, Spain’s equivalent of the English Community Shield, kicks off with Barcelona’s semi-final against Athletic Club on Wednesday… in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For six of the past seven seasons, the Supercopa has been held as a four-team mini-tournament in the Gulf nation. Saudi Arabia has a contract to host the event until 2029, although The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Spanish football federation (RFEF) is considering 
“The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is in full swing, and while you will have mostly been concerning yourself with the business of who’s winning and who’s losing, there is one very important thing to consider. Yes, that’s right: the kits. At past AFCONs, the kits on display have varied wildly: there have been the good, the bad, the garish, the boring, the outlandish and the plain mad. Happily, this tournament is no different. So read on to discover the definitive verdict on who has worn the best threads out in Morocco (we’ve only included the kits that have actually been worn as, sadly, some have not yet seen the light of day). …”
“The residents of Asni, a village in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, describe the snow-capped view as ‘paradise’. Above them is the tallest peak in North Africa, Mount Toubkal, which seems right there but is in fact a two-to-three-day hike from the nearest road — getting to which is itself a treacherous drive of several hours, usually requiring a 4×4 vehicle to coil around bone-dry gorges and navigate hairpin bends. The russet-coloured valley that leads towards Toubkal is a beautiful, sweeping land where the silence is amplified only by the sudden noises that break it: a farmer collecting twigs for a fire, dogs barking, or a muezzin’s cry from the mosque. Not so long ago, the unique sense of place was marked also by the sight of the Berber communities on the mountainside, with their low, flat-topped homes and rough-textured dried mud walls. …”
Demonstrations in front of Parliament in Rabat
“Ahmed Musa’s retirement from international football was more than just the second recent departure of a Super Eagles captain, following on from that of his successor, William Troost-Ekong. It marked an interesting milestone—Musa was the last surviving member of the victorious 2013 African Cup of Nations side. In the subsequent period, Nigeria failed to defend its title at the next tournament. It didn’t qualify for the 2017 edition either, before two podium finishes sandwiched by a round-of-16 knockout by Tunisia in 2021. Similarly, it made the 2014 and 2018 World Cups but has failed to qualify since, most recently after being knocked out of the continental playoffs by a resurgent DR Congo side, drawing the furor of 
“Nigeria outclassed Mozambique to set up an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final against Algeria or DR Congo. The Super Eagles were runners-up in 2023 and, while they were always likely to beat outsiders Mozambique, this performance and their form so far in Morocco suggest they will take some stopping. They won all three group games and were dominant in Fes on Monday, with Ademola Lookman opening the scoring, Victor Osimhen netting twice and Akor Adams also on target. …”
“English football invited us to peer into a spectacular future during 2025. Dynamic visions of what clubs will call home were unveiled, wondrous architectural images promising to transform matchday experiences in the years to come. Like Manchester United’s proposed new home adjacent to Old Trafford. In March, plans were announced for a 100,000-capacity stadium with 
“Harrison Reed hardly gets on the pitch nowadays. The Fulham midfielder is often left on the bench or out of Marco Silva’s Premier League matchday squad altogether. Prior to coming on in the 92nd minute against Liverpool on Sunday, Reed had amassed a meagre six minutes of action across two top-flight appearances in 2025-26 and has been an unused substitute on 10 occasions. …”
“Speaking to the sporting press in Agadir last week, a calm Hossam Hassan, coach of the Egyptian national team, expressed his distaste for holding the Africa Cup of Nations in four year cycles. The 59-year-old’s words were strong, albeit in a much calmer demeanor than what Egyptian football fans have come to expect from him: ‘Can you change the European system? You can’t. I’m not speaking in my capacity as the Egypt national team coach, but as an African player. God willing, we will fight for our rights.’ His words were uncharacteristically lacking self-recognition, referring to himself as ‘an African player.’ Just an African player, as if to blend with the myriad players who belong to this illustrious continent and its rich footballing history. …”
“The connection between sport and politics is implicit, particularly in African football. The beautiful game has long functioned as a site of resistance, liberation, identity, and togetherness. These politics surface at every level of the game: from the federation to the team, from players to fans. But, then there is Bafana Bafana. The South African men’s national football team exists in a curious parallel universe. Despite football being the country’s most popular sport, the national selection can shrug off political codes in a way others cannot. This is uncharacteristic, especially considering how the country’s affinity for political discourse permeates elsewhere. …”
“Ahead of South Africa’s final group match against Zimbabwe, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos sat down with a gaggle of South African journalists, and in a moment of candor sparked a debate that has since rippled across the African footballing world. ‘In the Ivory Coast and in Gabon, every second of the tournament you felt that you were in a tournament,’ Broos said. ‘When we went by bus to training, people were waving flags, running alongside us. Here, you see nothing. There is no vibe. There is no typical AFCON vibe. I don’t feel it here.’ The remarks proved divisive. Some echoed Broos’ assessment, while they angered others. Those who agreed with him drew comparisons between the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire, arguing that the current tournament lacks some of the spontaneity, warmth, and energy that defined the last AFCON. …”
“It felt like The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke was speaking for many who had the misfortune to watch 
“In the words of Jon Bon Jovi, we’re halfway there. Woah! As we enter a new year, the Premier League reaches the halfway mark, a perfect time to assess how each team has performed in their first 19 games of the season. We asked The Athletic’s writers to send in their report cards. Here, they grade each team and tell us what the biggest surprises and disappointments of the campaign have been so far. …”
“Bing-bong. Happy New Year, the winter transfer window is here! Congratulations to all who celebrate. To mark the re-opening of the market, we thought we’d revive an article which generated such an incredibly warm reaction in the comments section last time around; yes, ranking the impact made by all 155 Premier League summer signings! We did it in September, we did it in October, and if you didn’t think we were going to do it in January, well, you really don’t know us that well at all. Basically, it’s the 155 signings made by the 20 Premier League clubs in summer 2025, judged on their impact. …”
“Leeds United have ended Liverpool’s run of three successive Premier League wins with a goalless draw at Anfield that was as frustrating for the home side as it was satisfying for the visitors. Daniel Farke’s team, unbeaten in the league since November, controlled and frustrated Liverpool for much of the game — and went in 0-0 at half-time thanks to some diligent defending. The second half followed the same pattern with Liverpool struggling to carve out clear-cut chances. Leeds momentarily thought they had taken the lead in the last 10 minutes, only for Dominic Calvert-Lewin — who had come on as a substitute — to see his neatly-taken goal disallowed for a narrow offside. …”
“The knockout stage of the 
“Senegal underlined their TotalEnergies CAF AFCON title credentials with a commanding 3-0 victory over Benin in their final Group D encounter, in an entertaining contest played in Tangiers on Tuesday evening. The former African champions made a purposeful start and were rewarded in the 38th minute, when Abdoulaye Seckrose highest to power home a header from Krépin Diatta’s well-delivered set piece, giving Senegal a deserved lead at the interval. Benin showed greater urgency after the restart, testing Édouard Mendy through efforts from Aiyegun Tosin and Junior Olaïtan, but Senegal remained well organised at the back and clinical in their attacking play. Senegal doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute, with star forward Sadio Mané turning provider, slipping a neat pass into the area for Habib Diallo, who made no mistake with a composed left-footed finish from close range. …”
“Morocco responded emphatically to the pressure of a decisive final group match, producing a commanding 3–0 victory over Zambia on Monday night to finish top of Group A at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025. The hosts set the tone early, playing with urgency and clarity from the opening exchanges. Their dominance was rewarded inside nine minutes when Ayoub El Kaabi opened the scoring. A cleverly worked short corner from the right saw Azzedine Ounahi float an inviting delivery to the far post, where El Kaabi rose unchallenged to head home from close range. The second goal arrived in the 27th minute, once again highlighting Ounahi’s creative influence. The midfielder slipped a perfectly weighted pass down the left to Abde Ezzalzouli, whose low cross evaded El Kaabi but fell invitingly to Brahim Diaz. The winger showed composure to guide a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata Mwanza, doubling the lead before half-time. …”
“When the uncapped Valerenga midfielder Brice Ambina withdrew from the Cameroon squad on the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations, new coach David Pagou responded with a surprise call-up. Arnold Mael Kamdem, a 25-year-old midfielder, was a vaguely familiar name to Cameroonians, but only those with a decent memory, seeing as he had left the country for a career in Brazil in 2020. Kamdem has since bounced around so many clubs that even the teamsheet from Sunday night’s game against the Ivory Coast was out of date. …”
“Cameroon and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire shared the spoils in a pulsating 1–1 draw in their second Group F fixture at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025. At the end of 90 minutes, neither side could find a decisive edge in a gripping encounter in Marrakesh. Junior Tchamadeu’s deflected effort midway through the second half cancelled out a moment of brilliance from Amad Diallo, whose stunning opener had put the Ivorians ahead in a contest rich in quality, intensity and goal-mouth action. The opening exchanges were tight and tactical, with both sides showing caution. Cameroon came close to breaking the deadlock after 20 minutes when Christian Kofane rose highest to meet a cross from the left, only to see his header crash against the crossbar. …”
“For more than four decades, Nigeria has lived inside a carefully constructed narrative of greatness. In the years that followed the civil war, successive governments turned to soft propaganda in an attempt to rebuild national confidence. Slogans such as “Giant of Africa, Africa’s most populous nation, and Good People, Great Nation were promoted as unquestionable truths. …”
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“It has long been accepted fact that football’s richest league resides in England. The Premier League was not immediately a financial behemoth when it was formed in 1992 but today, 33 years and billions of pounds later, there is no doubting where the money lies. That is borne out every few months when a new transfer window rolls around, and the English clubs splurge like no others. Wage bills, too, are dominated by Premier League sides. In 2023-24, the most recent season for which we have a full dataset, teams from England occupied nine of the top 20 spots in the list of European football’s highest payers. …”
“Liverpool edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on an emotional afternoon at Anfield that saw both clubs pay tribute to Diogo Jota. For much of the first half it looked like Liverpool’s dominance of the ball was not going to translate to the scoreline, with the visitors putting in the sort of dogged defensive display that so nearly frustrated Arsenal earlier in the month. However, two goals in the space of 89 seconds from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz (the German’s first for the club) put Arne Slot’s side in what looked like complete control as half-time approached. …”
“It is impossible to imagine the Africa Cup of Nations without music. The opening ceremony is always launched with a commissioned anthem. It is rare to catch sight of young African players without headphones on. Increasingly, teams now arrive at stadiums with loudspeakers in tow, breaking into synchronized chants or dances as they make their way to the dressing room. Now that Matchday 1 of the 2025 AFCON is in the books, we’ve had enough time to get a sense of what everyone has been listening to at Africa’s biggest football party. Here’s a round-up of what players and fans are listening to after the opening matchday of the tournament. Stadium arrivals have become one of the defining features of the AFCON. In no other competition do teams step off their bus chanting in unison as they enter the stadium and walk toward the dressing room. …”
Sofyan Amrabat of Morocco challenged by Lassine Sinayoko of Mali during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Morocco and Mali at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on 26 December 2025
“Nigeria got their AFCON campaign off to a winning start, but they were made to work by Tanzania. The two nations have met once before at AFCON, in 1980. Nigeria won that game 3-1 and went on to win the tournament, their first. Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle will be hoping the goals from Hull City’s Semi Ajayi and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman will equally send his side on a successful run at this year’s tournament in Morocco. …”
“A packed domestic schedule means we are never far from the next Premier League game during the festive period. Narratives can shift quickly, the league table can shuffle, and it may be challenging to keep track of the relative importance of every game within the broader season. Fear not. Allow The Athletic to catch you up on some trends that have emerged from last weekend’s fixtures, and how that might shape future weeks. Is Aston Villa’s winning run sustainable? Can any stop Leeds United’s set-piece threat? Is Manchester City’s attacking evolution now rubber-stamped? …”
“The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, known in short as the 2025 AFCON or CAN 2025and for 
Ayoub El Kaabi scores an incredible goal for Morocco
“There is something stubbornly anachronistic about the pitch. A rectangle of grass, marked out with chalk or paint, governed by rules that are simple enough to learn when you’re young and serious enough to demand a lifetime’s attention. As the old saying goes, ‘of all unimportant things, football is the most important.’ Time on the pitch is not optimized or personalized, but is shared. Ninety minutes pass whether you are ready or not, and nothing can be paused, rewound, or skipped. Bodies gather, not to curate an experience, but to submit to one whose outcome cannot be known in advance. For all its compromises, football remains one of the few mass rituals left in public life that still insists on collective presence—on being there, together, in the same place, at the same time. …”
“Pep Guardiola was only six months into life as Manchester City coach when he declared, on the second day of 2017, that ‘the process of my goodbye has already started’. Members of the club’s hierarchy spoke in similar terms in those days. They didn’t imagine he was there for the long haul. They were just determined to enjoy it for the length of his initial three-year contract. Anything beyond that would be a bonus. As much to his own surprise as anyone else’s, Guardiola has stayed for almost a decade. He has led City to six Premier League titles and has won the FA Cup twice and the League Cup four times, as well as adding the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup in that glorious year of 2023. But now, 
“The fingers of Europe and Africa were almost touching and between them, at the end of a golden hour, the sun merged with the horizon. With the sky turning from orange to purple, the serrated edges of Morocco’s extreme north became clearer. The Port of Tarifa in Spain was getting smaller, yet it never disappeared. Laurie Lee described the town as ‘washed-up Africa’ because of its proximity to the continent, which is just nine nautical miles away. From the eastward-facing deck of the Balearia ferry, you could see the white cliffs of Gibraltar. There, you have warm beer, Marks & Spencer, red phone boxes and cannons facing towards the invisible enemies. On the other side, you could see Morocco, with Jebel Musa brooding and the sparsity of the Rif mountain range behind it, which forks sharply like a sheath of daggers. …”
“In urban centers and tiny villages, amid plains, deserts, forests, rainforests, coastal areas and any other habitat on our spinning sphere, football found a formidable foothold. ‘Is there any cultural practice more global than football?’ author David Goldblatt asks at the outset of The Ball Is Round: The Global History of Soccer. Well, is there? Birth, death, taxes—all are imbued with what we might call universality, but as Goldblatt points out, differing rituals greet these occasions from place to place. Though styles of play can vary based on culture, history, innovation, daring, success and failure, commonality lies in the rules and rudiments of the game, which are uniform across six of seven continents. …”
“How do you properly assess, evaluate, and explain Manchester United’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth without descending into well-worn football verbiage (‘Football, bloody hell!’) or frequent repetitions of the word ‘chaotic’? Ruben Amorim’s men entered Old Trafford on Monday on the precipice of change. The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (which begins on December 21) will see him lose two of his best attackers in Bryan Mbeumo and Amad. Earlier in the day, The Athletic reported the head coach had spent a significant amount of 
“Welcome to the latest edition of Inside Barcelona, our weekly series to follow throughout the 2025-26 La Liga season. Every Monday, we will bring you information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Barca with reporting you can trust. The information contained in this article reflects multiple conversations with various sources at the Spanish champions, all of whom wanted to speak anonymously to protect relationships. …”
“Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday The Athletic discusses three of the biggest questions posed by the weekend’s 
“Liverpool’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion was always going to be centred around Mohamed Salah. Whether he was going to be involved or not, though, it was unlikely any definitive conclusions were going to be drawn about what happens next. Exclusion from the squad may have pointed towards an exit, but the fact he was included leaves the door for reconciliation open. 
Scissors Kick 