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Egypt and Nigeria look to avoid round of 16 upsets

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Mohamed Salah with Hossam Hassan, coach of Egypt during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON Egypt Training at the Adrar Stadium, Agadir on the 04 January 2026 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

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Staff Reporter

Monday Jan 05, 2026. 12:00

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Heavyweights and underdogs meet in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday as Egypt faces Benin and Nigeria clashes with Mozambique in Morocco on Monday.

Egypt and Benin will face one another in the early kick-off at the Stade Adrar in Agadir, beginning at 6pm CAT.

The Pharaohs’ made it through group B unbeaten, finishing top of the pile with 16 points.

They opened their campaign with a late 2-1 win over Zimbabwe before passing South Africa in a 1-0 win and drawing 0-0 with Angola to end the group stage.

Benin advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams in group play, collecting three points from two losses and one win.

The Cheetahs fell to DR Congo 1-0 in their tournament opener, then going on to beat Botswana 1-0 and lose to Senegal 3-0.

The two sides met in the group stage at the 2010 edition, with Egypt emerging as 2-0 victors.

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The Pharaohs will be looking to avoid repeating past mistakes, as they were ejected in the round of 16 at the last edition, while Benin will be looking to claim a second-ever AFCON win from open play.

Nigeria and Mozambique are set to follow, kicking-off at 9pm CAT at the Fez Stadium in Fes.

Nigeria topped group C as one of only two teams at the tournament to manage a perfect record through the group stage.

The Super Eagles defeated Tanzania 1-0 to start the tournament, then beat Tunisia 3-2 and thumped Uganda 3-1 in their final group game.

Similarly to Benin, Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed sides in the group stage, finishing with three points in group F.

The Mambas fell to defending champions Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 in their first game before managing a shock upset against Gabon, winning 3-2. They finished the group stage with a tough 2-1 loss to Cameroon.

The two nations have clashed five times previously with Nigeria managing four wins to go alongside one draw, including a 3-0 win in the 2010 group stage.

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The Super Eagles will look to make the most of their 18th appearance in the competition’s knockout stage, while Mozambique will attempt to make the most of their first appearance in the knockout stage.

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Commonwealth Games: Megan Keith claims bronze for Scotland in 5000m infront of 100-year-old grandad

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Megan Keith

Given Keith herself was a tad surprised she scooped up a medal here, her grandad’s take on the event ought to be a good one.

The 10,000m is her preference, but the longer distance final did not go to plan on Monday and she finished seventh.

The Inverness athlete said she was faced with the ‘can Megan win a medal?’ talk earlier this week, but with that weight of expectation lifted – combined with experience of the home crowd and “the help of two other Scots in the race” – she was freed from the shackles to soar to a classy and courageous run.

“If you look at Monday on paper, that was pretty disappointing,” the 24-year-old added.

“I don’t think you’d put me in the running for a 5km medal since the 10km is normally closer to being my strength, so that definitely helped, the removal of that pressure.

“I think I knew if I felt horrendous and dropped out or fell off the pace again it wouldn’t really matter so I may as well shoot my shot.”

And shoot she did. Biding her time in the middle of the congested pact, Keith made her move with four laps to go, weaving past early pacesetters from Kenya and Uganda.

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She was afforded a bit of breathing space with two hurls around the track to go. But as expected, the exceptional Australian duo of Rose Davies – who made it a double gold at these Games with her 10km – and Jessica Hull, the 1500m Olympic silver medallist, entered another gear in the final lap.

While the cameras focused on the tremendous tussle between the pair in the matching yellow vests, the majority of the crowd had their eyes a wee bit further back, bawling at Keith on the final stretch.

She was home safe and sound. And swiftly searching for a saltire.

Once that was draped over her shoulders, and she’d caught up with fellow Scots Eloise Walker and Laura Muir, who finished 15th and 16th respectively, she was darting back around the track – the wrong way, this time – in search of her grandad.

He was eventually found for a quick hug, but a bigger debrief – and the declaration, surely, that this topped any other Scotstoun occasion – is still to be had.

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Commonwealth Games 2026: England netball team beat South Africa to reach semi-finals

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Fran Williams and Olivia Tchine, wearing England's red netball jersey, celebrate after beating South Africa to reach the semi-final by jumping in the air and hugging each other

England’s netballers reached the Commonwealth Games semi-finals after producing a pulsating comeback to beat South Africa 58-54.

With both sides tied on six points but the Roses ahead of the Proteas on goal average in pool A’s second spot going into the game, England had to avoid defeat to progress.

Elmere van der Berg was in fine form early on to fire South Africa into a six-goal lead at the end of the first quarter with 16 of her nation’s 17 goals, leaving England facing an uphill task.

But some excellent and aggressive defensive work by second-quarter substitute Halimat Adio helped England spring multiple counter-attacks to claw their way back to just 29-28 down at the halfway stage.

The Roses started to take control in the third quarter, opening up a seven-goal lead at one stage before the Proteas netted three times in quick succession to go into the final 15 minutes 43-39 behind.

Both sides then went blow for blow in a compelling final quarter with 15 goals apiece, but 2018 champions England held on to ensure they maintained their record of qualifying for every Commonwealth Games semi-final since the inaugural netball event in 1998.

England will face New Zealand in the last four on Saturday, while South Africa’s wait for a first semi-final since 1998 goes on.

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Fifa World Cup: Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino’s investment plans go through

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Spain celebrate winning the  men's World Cup

In a statement released after Thursday’s meeting, which was held virtually and chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa said it and its 55 member associations “stand as one”.

“We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors,” it said.

On Wednesday, Uefa had accused Fifa of using football “to enrich themselves and their friends”.

Its statement on Thursday was even more damning, calling it “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret” and “without any meaningful consultation” with those who steward the game.

It added: “This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.

“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences.

“This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”

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While Uefa only accounts for a quarter of Fifa’s membership, it does include most of the world’s most successful teams.

Six of the eight quarter-finalists – including winners Spain – at this summer’s World Cup were European. In the 2022 and 2018 editions, the figures were five and six respectively.

Of the 23 World Cups to have taken place to date, 13 have been won by European countries.

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