CK Updates
LIVE: AFCON 2025 – 14 January 2026 – 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026. 23:13
Join AfricanFootball.com for LIVE updates from all 52 matches of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as 24 teams battle for glory in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January.
Today’s matches:
19h00 – Senegal 1-0 Egypt – Match Centre
22h00 – Nigeria v Morocco – Match Centre
Updates:
67′ – Osimhen’s struggles continue in the game as he collects a pass from Alex Iwobi inside the box and spins away from his marker, but loses control of the ball and Bounou is able to gather.
52′ – Nwabali takes no chances as he tips the ball behind after Abde Ezzalzouli received a pass inside the box and looked to pick out the right corner of the net with a shot that seems to be going wide.
51′ – Raphael Onyedika is presented with a glorious chance after a rebound finds him unmarked on the edge of the box, but he slips as he shoots and the ball sails high over the goal.
46′ – Nigeria get the ball rolling in the second half.
Half-time – Nigeria 0 Morocco 0. A tightly-contested first half sees the two teams head into the break still deadlocked at 0-0. Morocco had the better chances and they’ve done a good job to keep Osimhen very quiet thus far.
45′ – One minute will be added on at the end of the first half.
39′ – Nwalbali keeps the score level with an fine save to deny Noussair Mazraoui, who latched onto a ball inside the box and attempted to beat the goalkeeper from close range.
35′ – Hakimi goes for goal from the resulting free-kick was has Nwabali scrambling, but the ball lands on the roof of the net.
34′ – Calvin Bassey is booked for tugging the shirt of Diaz. The defender will now miss the Super Eagles’ next game through suspension whether it’s the final or the third-place playoff.
28′ – Another chance for Diaz, who gets on the end of a lofted pass from Achraf Hakimi, but glances his header well wide of the left post.
21′ – Morocco threaten again after the ball is played into the box from a short free-kick, but Ismael Saibari fails to test Stanley Nwabali with a header that clears the crossbar by a fair few yards.
16′ – Ademola Lookman finds himself in space just outside the area and and has a crack at goal, but Yassine Bounou is alert to the danger and palms the ball away to safety.
15′ – Possession has been fairly even for the two teams, but neither of them have settled into a rhythm yet.
9′ – Brahim Diaz fires a warning shot for the Atlas Lions as he curls the ball just wide of the left post from the edge of the box.
3′ – A dreadful pass out of defence by Semi Ajayi gifts the ball to Ismael Saibari, who lines up a shot from range that is going on target, but the defender makes a superb recovery to block the attempt at goal.
1′ – Hosts Morocco get proceedings underway in this second semi-final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
What the managers said:
Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle: “At this stage of the competition, clear decisions are required. I’ve been fortunate to work with top-class players, and when you have players who have won CAF Player-of-the-Year awards, it is never easy.
“Our strength lies in the group accepting those decisions, because the national team always comes first.
“Morocco are a strong team with qualities and weaknesses. Brahim Diaz is a good player, and the Moroccan team as a whole is very good. We are ready for every scenario. We will give everything and approach every match as if it were our last.”
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui: “When you coach the Moroccan national team, every result is scrutinized; this is a reality. I give everything for my country.
“Yes, mistakes can happen; that is part of a coach’s journey. My focus is solely on our team, because that is what matters most. I fight for my country and accept the criticism that comes with it.
“An AFCON semi-final is different from a World Cup semi-final. Before, we were seen as a surprise. Now expectations are different, and our aim is to reach the final and lift the continental trophy.”
The Atlas Lions go with the same XI that saw off Cameroon 2-0 in the last eight and their 50-year wait for a title is spearheaded by Brahim Diaz, who has scored in every game of the tournament to lead the race for the Golden Boot, one goal ahead of Nigeria talisman Victor Osimhen.
The Super Eagles make just one change from the team that ran out 2-0 victors over Algeria in the quarter-finals and it’s an enforced one as Wilfred Ndidi is suspended after picking up a his second yellow card of the knockout stages on January 10.
AFCON 2023 losing finalists Nigeria come up against AFCON 2025 hosts Morocco in another West versus North Africa semi-final, with the winner booking a final date with AFCON 2021 champions Senegal, who beat Egypt 1-0 earlier this evening.
Nigeria v Morocco starting line-ups:
Nigeria: S. Nwabali, B. Osayi-Samuel, S. Ajayi, C. Bassey, B. Onyemaechi, F. Onyeka, R. Onyedika, A. Iwobi, A. Lookman, V. Osimhen, A. Adams.
Morocco: Y. Bounou, A. Hakimi, N. Aguerd, A. Masina, N. Mazraoui, N. El Aynaoui, B. Diaz, B. El Khannouss, I. Saibari, A. Ezzalzouli, A. El Kaabi.
Full-time: Senegal 1-0 Egypt – Sadio Mane’s 77th minute strike sends Senegal into the final of the 2025 AFCON in Tangier as the Lions of Teranga will face either hosts Morocco or Nigeria in the final.
90’ – Five minutes added on between Senegal and Egypt.
87’ – Following a host of changes from both sides, the game is delicately poised heading toward the 90th minute mark with Senegal holding a slender lead.
77’ – Goal! Sadio Mane opens the scoring for Senegal with a touch of fortune. After a failed shot falls into his path, the experience forward rifled the ball into the back of the net on the edge of the 18-yard-area.
72’ – Still goalless with under 20 minutes remaining between Senegal and Egypt, with the former actively searching for an opener.
60’ – Egypt living on the edge as Senegal pile on the pressure. Whether it is at corner situations or in open play, the Pharaohs are battling to contain their opponents.
50’ – Much like that of in the beginning of the first-half, Senegal were proactive on the ball at the start of the second 45. The Lions of Teranga were awarded the first corner of the half in the 51st minute but were once again unable to convert their chance.
46’ – We’re back with the second-half between Senegal and Egypt at the Tangier Grand Stadium.
Half-time: Senegal 0-0 Egypt -The referee calls it for the first-half between the two nations with neither side able to make the most of their goal scoring opportunities.
45’ – Four minutes added on between Egypt and Senegal before the break.
40’ – Edging toward the half-time whistle with nothing between Egypt and Senegal at Grand Stade de Tanger so far. The crowd erupts following a scuffle on the touchline as frustration begins to creep in on both benches.
31’ – Still goalless between Egypt and Senegal as the half-hour mark makes ticks on. Tense affair in Tangier so far with the Lions of Teranga seeing most of the ball at this point.
17’ – Kalidou Koulibaly picks up a yellow card after committing a foul on Omar Marmoush just as Egypt strung a few incisive passes together. The Pharaohs are now growing into the game following a brief spell of dominance by Senegal.
8’ – The Lions of Teranga station inside the Pharaohs half and continue to pile on the pressure going forward. No sign of attacking intent from Egypt so far, given Senegal’s dominance.
3’ – Senegal settles early and are stroking the ball around with relative ease. Egypt attempts to play the ball out from the back but are swiftly dispossessed on the edge of their area.
1’ – We’re off in the first 2025 AFCON semi-final between Senegal and Egypt at Grand Stade de Tanger!
As a nation hoping to once again make a name for themselves on the African continent, Egypt are in line to bag a record eighth AFCON crown. Senegal on the other hand, are one-time winners of the tournament.
The Pharaohs arrive at Grand Stade de Tanger following a 3-2 win against Ivory Coast, while The Lions of Teranga secured a tense 1-0 victory over Mali in their respective quarter-final assignment.
Senegal vs Egypt starting line-ups:
Senegal: Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf, Diarra, I. Gueye, P. Gueye, Ndiaye, Diallo, Mane
Egypt: El-Shenawy, Hany, Rabia, Abdelmaguid, Ibrahim, Fatouh, Attia, Fathy, Ashour, Salah, Marmoush
No side will relish coming up against Calvert-Lewin and this aggressive Leeds outfit at Elland Road this season.
In fact, only Arsenal (52), Manchester City (50), Manchester United (45) and Bournemouth (37) have won more Premier League points in 2026 than Leeds United (35), with the Whites suffering just a single defeat across their past 13 league matches.
Yet Newcastle‘s implosion was remarkable as a young team were bullied and outfought.
Newcastle had previously made a good start under head coach Matthias Jaissle, following so much change in the summer, and were unbeaten in their opening five games in all competitions before this reality check.
But they have faced more shots than any other side in the Premier League.
However clinical Newcastle were in the opening weeks of the campaign, they mustered just eight efforts on target against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth before their trip to Elland Road.
That was a dangerous cocktail going into this game.
What was most galling, though, was the visitors’ failure to match Leeds‘ bite at a raucous Elland Road.
Jaissle’s side crumbled and conceded three goals in a chastening 14-minute period in the first half.
It was a night the German manager swore in his post-match news conference to illustrate how low he felt.
“I don’t want to point fingers and point any players out tonight,” he said. “We were not matching as a team the level of intensity, the level of duel behaviours, the level of physicality.
“This is something we need to bring on the pitch in every match. This is non-negotiable. It should be the basic fundamentals of football.
“These are young lads. The learning curve needs to be fast.”
For Calvert-Lewin and Leeds, however, this was a night to remember.
Gary Hamilton has been linked with most Irish Premiership vacancies since he left his role at Glenavon in 2023.
Hamilton made 132 appearances and scored 70 goals for the east Belfast side and is already well respected at the club.
The 45-year-old has always had an eye for bringing in and developing younger talent, a skill which would benefit the Glens.
During his almost 12-year spell at the Lurgan Blues, he won the Irish Cup twice in 2014 and 2016, registered four third-place finishes and European football.
Hamilton currently manages Conference League side Ballymacash Rangers, who have won the Steel and Sons for the first time during his tenure.
A manager such as Hamilton, who has secured plenty of silverware during his career, will certainly tick a lot of the boxes that Glentoran would be hoping for in a new manager.
Whereas players in sports like football earn a salary based on a contract with the team that employs them, and athletes in individual sports like tennis and golf can earn a great deal from prize money at major tournaments, athletics competitors rely much more heavily on personal sponsorships and endorsements.
That is because they are paid no direct annual salary, and the only standardised prize money on offer is $50,000 (£37,000) for winning gold in one of the 48 track and field events at the Olympics.
That prize money was only introduced at the 2024 Games in Paris, and is paltry compared to the potential millions in winnings on offer in other major sports.
Some nations – including the USA – also choose to pay athletes who win medals from their own resources, but Britain does not.
Instead, athletes are awarded funding and grants by UK Sport, with the majority of the money coming from the National Lottery.
UK Sport ranks athletes by how likely they are to win medals at major events, and gives more funding to those whose chances it believes are better.
Athletes typically use that funding to pay for training camps, equipment, travel and, in some cases, personal support staff like physiotherapists, nutritionists and chefs.
So why would athletes be instructed to wear national team kit at the Ultimates?
The Ultimate Championship is billed as three fast-paced evenings with a record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot on offer for the biggest stars in athletics.
The condensed schedule and focus on star names is designed to appeal to viewers on television and social media – the latter likely playing a role in the focus on short, sharp bursts of action which can capture attention online.
Most viewers of athletics are used to watching athletes compete while wearing national kit at the Olympics and World Championships. Put simply, the use of a national kit makes it easier for the casual viewer to quickly spot who they should be rooting for and feel invested in the action.
But Kerr’s comments have highlighted the fact that something which may well improve the viewing experience can be felt as a direct financial negative by the athletes themselves.
With the next edition of the Ultimate Championship set to take place in September 2028, shortly after the Olympics in Los Angeles, the battle between brands and country could continue to heat up.
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CK Updates16 hours agoJosh Kerr: Ultimate Championship 1500m winner ramps up debate over country vs brands kit
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CK Updates10 hours agoIrish Premiership: Who will replace Declan Devine as Glentoran manager?
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CK Updates4 hours agoLeeds 4-1 Newcastle: Is ‘unplayable’ Calvert-Lewin in line for England recall?