Category: Football Africa

Last-gasp delight for Burkina Faso skipper Edmond Tapsoba
by Football Sierra Leone

Last-gasp delight for Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba

Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, scored a late header to help Burkina Faso defeat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2–1 in their opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca on Wednesday.

Burkina Faso made an incredible comeback by scoring two goals deep into stoppage time after Equatorial Guinea scored against the run of play in the 85th minute through Marvin Anieboh, but G. Minoungou (90’+5)Goal 90 minute plus 5, and E. Tapsoba (90’+8) responded to win it in added time.

The match changed in the second half when Equatorial Guinea’s Basilo Ndung received a straight red card in the 50th minute due to a dangerous challenge, leading coach Juan Micha to reorganise his team and adjust their strategy.

Man of the Match – Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso defender), “I’m thrilled with our victory. We came back from behind to win, scoring two goals. This award reflects our team’s effort, and I dedicate it to everyone in the Burkina Faso national team.”

Juan Micha – Head Coach of Equatorial Guinea, “Congrats to Burkina Faso; they were tough opponents. We lost focus, and the match quickly slipped away. Our mental game struggled, especially after the red card, but we aim to improve in future matches.”

Brama Traoré – Head Coach of Burkina Faso, “Starting the tournament with a win was crucial. Facing a strong Equatorial Guinea team was challenging, but we worked hard to equalise and ultimately secure the victory, which we are very pleased with.”

Tunisia ease past Uganda to stay ahead of Nigeria in Group C
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tunisia ease past Uganda to stay ahead of Nigeria in Group C

Tunisia kicked off their CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over Uganda at the Annex Olympic Stadium.

This win places them at the top of Group C, ahead of Nigeria, who secured a 2-1 win against Tanzania earlier on Tuesday.

Elyes Skhiri opened the scoring in the 10th minute, followed by Elias Achouri, who scored twice, including a goal just before halftime and his second in the 64th minute. Uganda managed a late goal from Denis Omedi, but it did not affect the outcome.

In post-match comments, Uganda’s coach, Paul Put, expressed disappointment at the team’s lack of aggression and respect shown to Tunisia, emphasising the need to improve in their next match.

Tunisia’s coach, Sami Trabelsi, praised his team’s performance and the support from Moroccan fans. Player Mohamed Elyes Achouri thanked his teammates and supporters for their efforts in challenging weather conditions.

The Eagles of Carthage of Tunisia take on the Super Eagles of Nigeria on December 27th in their second Group match, and it is expected to be a top-of-the-table cracker at the Stade Foot Fès.

Picture of Alie Bittar
Alie Bittar

@bittar32 On X

24/12/2025
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.

Nicolas Jackson nets brace for Senegal as DRC beat Benin in Group D
by FSL News

Nicolas Jackson nets brace for Senegal as DRC beat Benin in Group D

DR Congo and Senegal both secured victories in their opening matches of Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.

Russian club Spartak Moscow’s striker Theo Bongonda scored the only goal for DR Congo as they defeated Benin in their African Cup of Nations Group D opener at the Al Medina Stadium on Tuesday.

Théo Bongonda’s goal helped the Democratic Republic of Congo to a 1-0 victory over Benin in their opening game of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.

The Leopards demonstrated strong performance and early dominance, capitalising on a defensive error to secure the lead in the 16th minute.

Despite Benin’s efforts to counterattack and disrupt DR Congo’s rhythm, they struggled to create clear chances against a solid Congolese defence.

DR Congo managed to maintain their lead and secure a clean sheet, earning maximum points.

Elsewhere, Senegal defeated Botswana 3-0 in the second game in Group D with a brace from Nicolas Jackson in the 39th and 59th minutes, respectively.

Their third goal came through Cherif Ndiaye in the 90th minute to wrap a brilliant opening victory for the Lions of Teranga as they top Group D.

Jackson was named the TotalEnergies Man of the Match for their match against Botswana.

On Saturday, December 27, they’ll lock horns with the DRC Leopards whilst Botswana battles Benin.

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.”