| AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY |
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 The Africa Cup of Nations delivered a classic battle for supremacy of the skies as the Nigeria national football team outmuscled and outpaced the Tunisia national football team in a fiery encounter befitting its Match of the Day billing.
Two proud footballing nations. Two predatory Eagles. One statement to be made.
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 East African pride took center stage at the Africa Cup of Nations as the Uganda national football team and the Tanzania national football team fought to a gripping draw in a match charged with rivalry, ambition, and regional bragging rights.
 When Africa’s great predators collide, there is no room for fear—only pride, power, and survival. That was the scene at AFCON 2025 as the Senegal national football team locked horns with the equally fearless Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team in a heavyweight Group D showdown.
 Nature followed footballing instinct at AFCON 2025 as the Benin national football team proved too swift and ruthless for the Botswana national football team, consigning the Zebras to an early group-stage exit.
 What was billed as the game of the day at the Africa Cup of Nations lived up to every ounce of its promise, as the Morocco national football team were held to a gripping draw by the fearless Mali national football team—a contest that asked hard questions of the tournament hosts.
On home soil and widely tipped to dominate, the Atlas Lions instead found themselves locked in a fierce duel from the opening whistle. Mali’s Eagles of the Sahel matched Morocco stride for stride—pressing high, contesting every ball, and refusing to be overawed by the atmosphere or reputation.  The Africa Cup of Nations served up a clash of survival instincts as the Zambia national football team failed to break down the resilient Comoros national football team, settling for a goalless draw that leaves both sides staring at the possibility of an early exit from AFCON 2025.
Nicknamed after the ancient Coelacanth—a fish once thought extinct—the Comoros continue to prove that they are very much alive. Though beaten in their opener by tournament hosts Morocco national football team, the islanders entered this encounter determined to stay afloat against Zambia’s feared Chipolopolo, the Copper Bullets.  The Africa Cup of Nations produced one of its most compelling encounters yet as the Egypt national football team edged past the South Africa national football team in a match rich in drama, intensity, and controversy.
At the heart of it all stood Egypt’s talisman. When a penalty was awarded, Mohamed Salah stepped forward with the calm authority of a player born for such moments. As the whistle sounded, Salah exhaled, leaned into his strike, and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way—burying the ball with precision to give the Pharaohs the lead and ignite the Egyptian faithful. The second half told a different story.  The early Boxing Day fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco delivered a tense and evenly matched encounter, as the Zimbabwe national football team were held to a draw by the Angola national football team—a result that did little to ease the pressure on either side after opening-day defeats.
Both teams entered the contest desperate for respite, urgency evident from the opening whistle. Angola struck first in the 24th minute, when forward Gelson Dala broke the deadlock, capitalizing on a rare moment of space to put the Palancas Negras ahead. But Zimbabwe responded with resolve.  The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced a major multi-year global partnership with Hyundai Motor Company, which sees the iconic global automotive manufacturer come on board as one of only four Premier Partners for upcoming ICC Events.
The partnership was unveiled at the renowned Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. ICC Chairman Mr. Jay Shah, ICC CEO Mr. Sanjog Gupta and Hyundai India Managing Director and CEO designate Mr. Tarun Garg were among those present at the official unveiling ceremony.  India all-rounder Deepti Sharma has topped the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings for the first time in her career while South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has regained the No.1 position in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings after the latest weekly update.
Sharma’s haul of one for 20 in the opening T20I of their home series against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam was enough for the off-spinner to overtake Australia fast bowler Annabel Sutherland, pipping her by one rating point to sit at the top of the table with 737 points. ICC commits comprehensive support to USA National team cricketers and high-performance programme12/26/2025  The International Cricket Council (ICC) today reiterated its strong commitment to safeguarding the interests of USA’s National team players and ensuring uninterrupted preparation for the ICC Men’s Under 19 World Cup 2026, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, despite the ongoing governance and financial crisis within USA Cricket.
USA Cricket announced that it had voluntarily initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in what it described as a “structural reorganisation.” This development followed the ICC Board’s decision on 23 September to suspend USA Cricket for serious breaches of the ICC Membership Criteria.  The Africa Cup of Nations delivered a bruising West Central African derby as the Cameroon national football team overcame adversity on and off the pitch to edge past the Gabon national football team in a battle for supremacy.
Cameroon arrived in Morocco under a cloud. Internal upheaval dominated the build-up—a late coaching change, and the absence of marquee names including captain Vincent Aboubakar and goalkeeper André Onana. Questions swirled. Doubts lingered. But when the whistle blew, the Indomitable Lions answered with resolve.  The Africa Cup of Nations saw defending champions Ivory Coast national football team open their campaign with a measured yet emphatic victory—subduing the Mozambique national football team to claim three vital points in Group F.
Mozambique’s Mambas arrived with a reputation for danger and discipline, and the first half reflected that reality. Compact, organized, and resilient, they matched the Elephants stride for stride, frustrating the holders and forcing a goalless stalemate at the interval.  AFCON 2025 delivered its first dose of pure, unfiltered drama as the Burkina Faso national football team refused to be broken, staging a breathtaking late comeback to stun the Equatorial Guinea national football team in their tournament opener.
For much of the contest, the Red Devils of Equatorial Guinea looked poised to tame the wild Stallions. At the heart of their resistance stood defender Marvin Anieboh, a towering presence who repelled wave after wave of Burkina Faso pressure. He blocked, tackled, and organized—an immovable force against the Stallions’ brute strength and clever movement.  India’s hard-hitting batter Tilak Varma has surged up two places to fourth in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings even as spinner Varun Chakravarthy has consolidated his position at the top of the bowling rankings.
Varma followed up his score of 26 in the opening match against South Africa in Cuttack with 62 in New Chandigarh and 26 not out in Dharamsala this past week to overtake Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and England’s Jos Buttler in the list led by India’s Abhishek Sharma. Varma’s best ranking is the second position that he reached in January this year.  With the patience, precision, and cunning that define their nickname, the Algeria national football team delivered a masterclass in control and ruthlessness—bringing down the Falcons of the Sudan in emphatic fashion to seize early authority in Group E of AFCON 2025.
Algeria’s plan was clear from the opening whistle: draw the Falcons out of the sky, ground them, and strike. It took just two minutes for the trap to snap shut. Captain and talisman Riyad Mahrez—the lead Fox—pounced first, finishing clinically to set the tone and send a warning across the group.  In what was billed as the Battle of the Birds, it was the Tunisia national football team who ruled the skies, overwhelming the Uganda national football team with a ferocious display in their AFCON opener.
Like a predator striking from above, Tunisia attacked with precision and ruthlessness—leaving the Cranes stunned before they could find their bearings. The tone was set early. In the 10th minute, midfield general Ellyes Skhiri struck decisively, slicing through Uganda’s resistance to give the Carthage Eagles liftoff. Tunisia smelled blood—and pressed harder.  The Africa Cup of Nations offered Nigeria the perfect stage for redemption—and the Nigeria national football team seized it with purpose, power, and poise.
Still stinging from the heartbreak of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles arrived in Morocco with a singular mission: win AFCON 2025 at all costs. There would be no easing into the tournament. No mercy. No hesitation. That intent was clear on Tuesday, December 22, when Nigeria squared off against the resilient Tanzania national football team in their Group C opener.  The Africa Cup of Nations witnessed a ruthless display of power and pedigree as the Senegal national football team asserted their dominance, striking down the Botswana national football team with a convincing 3–0 victory.
For Botswana, this moment carried historic significance—only their second-ever appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations. But destiny handed them a daunting test. Standing in their path were the Teranga Lions, the fearsome Cats of the Sahel, a side built on experience, physicality, and tournament know-how.  The Africa Cup of Nations served up a fierce Battle of the Cats in Group D as the Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team delivered a clinical opening-night statement against the Benin national football team.
From the opening whistle, intensity crackled across the pitch. And it didn’t take long for the Leopards to bare their claws. Less than 20 minutes into the contest, DR Congo struck with a decisive blow—one that proved fatal to Benin’s hopes of recovery. The goal was swift, ruthless, and perfectly executed, silencing the Cheetahs and setting the tone for the night. ICC releases Expression of Interest for Media Rights in Nepal for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 202612/26/2025  The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the release of an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Media Rights in Nepal for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
 The Africa Cup of Nations delivered late drama on opening night in Group B as Egypt national football team relied on their talisman to edge past the resilient Zimbabwe national football team and claim a hard-earned victory.
The contest burst into life almost immediately. The Warriors of Zimbabwe stunned the Pharaohs by striking first in just the 2nd minute, catching Egypt cold and setting the tone for a night of defiance and discipline from the Southern Africans. From there, Zimbabwe dug in, frustrating Egypt with compact defending and relentless work rate, carrying their slender advantage deep into the match.  he Africa Cup of Nations served up early drama as two Southern African rivals locked horns on Monday, December 22, with South Africa national football team edging past the Angola national football team in a fiery Group B encounter.
South Africa wasted little time asserting themselves. With crisp passing and confident movement, Bafana Bafana struck first in the 21st minute, when Oswin Appollis finished off a flowing move to give the South Africans an early lead and ignite celebrations in the stands.  The December 2025 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking – the last of the year – has landed following the latest 42 international fixtures, with the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ having taken centre stage.
Fresh from clinching the regional crown in Doha, Qatar, Morocco (11th, unchanged) are just short of breaking into the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, trailing Croatia (10th, unchanged) by just 0.54 points. Spain (1st, unchanged) remain top of the pile having knocked second-placed Argentina (2nd, unchanged) off their perch in the September instalment , while France (3rd, unchanged) complete the podium in the end of year line-up.  Commonwealth Sport today confirmed that Warner Bros. Discovery has secured the exclusive UK live broadcast and digital media rights in a landmark deal for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
TNT Sports will bring live coverage to viewers via a dedicated linear channel in the UK and Ireland. More than 600 hours of live coverage will be offered to fans with every sport and event streaming on HBO Max* in the UK following the platform’s launch in March 2026 with an ambition to maximise access for the widest possible audience. |
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