Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi happy with Super Eagles AFCON start
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi is happy with the Super Eagles’ AFCON start

Hull City defender Semi Ajayi scored for Nigeria in their opening match against Tanzania, helping the Super Eagles secure a 2–1 victory in their Group C game of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025.

Nigeria began their tournament in Morocco on Tuesday evening with a hard-fought win. Ademola Lookman scored the winning goal just after Tanzania had equalised.

The Super Eagles controlled much of the first half. They took the lead nine minutes before halftime when Semi Ajayi scored with a header from an Alex Iwobi corner. This corner was earned after Tanzanian defender Bakari Mwamnyeto cleared a close-range shot from Victor Osimhen off the line.

Semi Ajayi, named Man of the Match, said, “It’s an amazing feeling to score for your country. This win gives us a good start. We had a great tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, and we want to use that as a standard. Our team contributes to scoring, not just the attackers. There are positives to take from this game, but we need to fix some things to finish games better.”

Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, added, “We are happy with the three points. That’s what matters most. For now, I want to focus on the positives. The second half showed that we still need to improve, especially in closing out games. We know this and will work on it.”

Tanzania’s coach, Miguel Ángel Gamondi, said, “I think Tanzania played better than expected. Nigeria had most of the ball, but we did well to stop them with our tactics. They created chances, but many came from individual skill, which wasn’t surprising. Overall, I believe we surprised many people with our performance against Nigeria.”

The Super Eagles to face Tunisia in the second group game on Saturday, 27 December (KO: 8 pm), and  Nigeria will finish their group fixtures on Tuesday, 30 December against Uganda in a 4 pm kick-off.

Mali's coach Tom Saintfiet disappointed with Zambia draw
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Mali’s coach Tom Saintfiet is disappointed with the Zambia draw

Tom Saintfiet, the coach of Mali, shared his disappointment after Patson Daka from Zambia scored a late equalizer. This goal stopped Mali from winning the match.

Patson Daka’s injury-time header secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Mali at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V after Lassine Sinayoko had put Mali ahead just after the hour mark in the Group A encounter.

Tom Saintfiet – Mali coach: “The equaliser was very painful. We wanted to score three goals in this match. Our problems started after we missed a penalty. We need to keep our emotions in check.

I would have preferred to take all three points against Zambia, especially after controlling the game for 90 minutes. This equaliser felt like a win for Zambia and a loss for us.

Now we must prepare well for the next matches. Zambia has strong midfield players who stopped us from achieving our goals. We need at least one point against Morocco in our next match.

We want to finish second in the group. Our goal is to reach the final, and that is still possible.”

In contrast, Zambia’s head coach was pleased with his team’s fighting spirit.

Moses Sichone: “My players performed well against Mali in a tough opening match. We conceded a goal at a critical moment, which we need to address. A match lasts 90 minutes, and it’s important to keep pushing until the end.

Congratulations to Morocco on their win against Comoros. Our next match is against Comoros, who played strongly. We’ll prepare and continue to work on our strengths.”

Mohamed Salah wins it for Egypt in added time
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Mohamed Salah grabs an added-time winner for Egypt

Mohamed Salah scored in the dying moments of stoppage time as Egypt began their Africa Cup of Nations journey with a slender 2-1 win over Zimbabwe in their group match on Monday.

The Liverpool forward had minimal impact for much of the game but became crucial at the end, converting from close range to secure a hard-earned three points for the Pharaohs.

Egypt started the match strongly but missed several clear chances created by Trezeguet, Salah, and Emam Ashour. Zimbabwe capitalised on this, with Prince Dube scoring in the 20th minute from an unmarked position.

Despite close calls for a second goal, Egypt’s defence held firm. Coach Hossam Hassan made a tactical change in the 33rd minute, bringing on Mostafa Mohamed, shifting Omar Marmoush to an attacking midfield role. Marmoush had two attempts before halftime but couldn’t score.

After the break, Egypt intensified their efforts, with Marmoush and Mohamed both being denied opportunities until Mohamed equalised in the 64th minute with a close-range shot.

Hassan introduced further offensive players, creating urgency for Egypt. Just as the match appeared headed for a draw, Salah scored in stoppage time from a rebound, securing a 2-1 victory for Egypt.

This win placed Egypt at the top of their group with three points, tied with South Africa, which had also defeated Angola. Egypt’s next match is against South Africa, while Zimbabwe faces Angola.

Egypt's Omar Marmoush receives the TotalEnergies Man of the Match accolade for his impressive goal and performance.
Egypt's Omar Marmoush receives the TotalEnergies Man of the Match accolade for his impressive goal and performance.
South Africa beat Angola in AFCON Group B opener
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

A winning start for South Africa over Angola in AFCON Group B opener

South Africa started their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2-1 victory over Angola in the opening match of Group B in Marrakech, Morocco. Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored the winning goal 11 minutes before the end of the game.

Hugo Broos’ side began the match strongly and took the lead when Oswin Appollis scored with a low shot into the bottom-left corner. Angola responded about 15 minutes later when Show turned in a cross from Fredy to level the match at halftime.

In the second half, South Africa thought they had scored again when Tshepang Moremi hit a powerful shot into the bottom corner. However, VAR disallowed the goal because he was offside.

As South Africa pressed for the winner, Mbekizile Mbokazi came close with a long-range shot that hit the crossbar.

Minutes later, Moremi set up Lyle Foster, whose powerful shot into the top corner secured the win for South Africa, putting them temporarily at the top of the group, ahead of Egypt’s match against Zimbabwe.

Man of the match: Lyle Foster (South Africa)

Patson Daka's late heeder salvage a point for Zambia against Mali
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Patson Daka’s late header salvages a point for Zambia against Mali

Zambia kicked off their Group A campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Mali in their Africa Cup of Nations match on Monday.

Lassine Sinayoko gave Mali the lead early on, but Zambia’s Chipolopolo struck back with a last-gasp goal to level the score.

Both teams entered the match knowing how crucial a win would be, but it was the West African side that managed to take the first initiative at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

However, Zambia’s Patson Daka’s header was enough to secure a point for Zambia, leaving Morocco at the top of the group.

This encounter marked the first time the two sides faced each other since 2022, when El Bilal Toure scored the only goal to give Mali a 1-0 victory.

Zambia last lifted the trophy in 2012 after defeating the Ivory Coast on penalties, but they struggled in the last edition in 2023, failing to secure a single win.

They’ll need to build on this tie when they face Comoros on Boxing Day, whilst 1972 runners-up Mali battle it out with host Morocco later that evening.