football

Senegal beat Mali 1-0 to reach AFCON 2025 semifinal where defending champions Ivory Coast or record winners Egypt await.

Recalled striker Iliman Ndiaye scored in the first half to give Senegal a 1-0 victory over 10-man Mali in Tangiers on Friday in the first 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal.

Mali hopes were dealt a severe blow in first-half added time when Yves Bissouma was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.

The only goal followed a blunder by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, who then made a string of superb saves to prevent Senegal increasing their lead.

Senegal now face defending champions Ivory Coast or record seven-time winners Egypt, who meet on Saturday, in the semifinals.

Malian Lassine Sinayoko appealed for a penalty just three minutes into the first half, alleging he was fouled by Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who was back after a one-match suspension.

However, the South African referee waved play on, and VAR confirmed his decision was correct. Big-screen replays showed Sinayoko was guilty of simulation.

Mali captain Bissouma was yellow-carded midway through the half for fouling veteran Senegal striker and twice African player of the year Sadio Mane.

Sinayoko then broke clear only to be foiled by a superb sliding tackle from fellow French Ligue 1 player Krepin Diatta.

The deadlock was broken after 27 minutes on a cold, cloudy evening in the Mediterranean city thanks to Ndiaye.

He was involved three times in a move which ended with goalkeeper Djigui Diarra allowing a Krepin Diarra cross to slip under his body, and Ndiaye struck the loose ball into the net.

While the goal was a gift, it gave Senegal a deserved lead as they had dominated possession in only the second AFCON clash between the countries. The first was drawn at the group stage in 2004.

Pape Gueye, who scored twice for Senegal in the last-16 victory over Sudan, was just off target with a shot from outside the box.

Then, for the second successive knockout match, Mali were reduced to 10 men before half-time with Bissouma shown a second yellow card, followed by a red.

The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder fouled Idrissa Gueye in midfield, and Malian pleas for the incident to be reviewed by VAR were rejected.

Mali displayed tremendous spirit when reduced to 10 men against Tunisia in the round of 16, and it was evident again against the Senegalese as the second half progressed.

They came close to levelling on 55 minutes when defender Abdoulaye Diaby advanced for a free-kick. His close-range shot brought a reflex save from former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Diarra atoned for his first-half blunder by making several superb saves to keep alive Malian dreams of winning a maiden AFCON title.

With 15 minutes of regular time remaining, scorer Ndiaye was substituted. In his place came 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward Ibrahim Mbaye, whose goal sealed victory over Sudan.

Diarra rescued Mali again as time ticked away, blocking a shot from substitute Pathe Ciss, who had broken clear.

The Malian goalkeeper made another outstanding save during seven minutes of added time by pushing away a Lamine Camara volley.

Junior guard Zaire Rasshan of Damien knows football. His father, Osaar, was a backup quarterback at UCLA from 2005-09. Rasshan played quarterback his freshman season at Damien until deciding basketball was his No. 1 sport.

So when Rasshan looked up at the scoreboard Thursday night at Etiwanda in the first quarter and saw the Spartans had scored the first 24 points, he had to think football.

“That was crazy,” he said. “That’s three touchdowns and a field goal.”

Damien (17-4, 2-0) was able to hold off Etiwanda 56-43 to pick up a key Baseline League road victory. Winning at Etiwanda has been a rarity for many teams through the years. But Damien’s fast start couldn’t have been any better. The Spartans didn’t miss any shots while playing good defense for their 24-0 surge. Etiwanda’s first basket didn’t come until the 1:38 mark of the first quarter.

“When we play together, we can beat anyone,” Rasshan said.

Rasshan was a big part of the victory, contributing 23 points. Eli Garner had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Etiwanda came in 18-1 and 1-0 in league. The Eagles missed 13 free throws, which prevented any comeback. The closest they got in the second half was within 11 points.

Damien’s victory puts it squarely in contention for a Southern Section Open Division playoff spot. The Spartans lost in the final seconds to Redondo Union in the Classic at Damien, showing they can compete with the big boys in coach Mike LeDuc’s 52nd season of coaching.

Rasshan is averaging nearly 20 points a game. He made three threes. And he hasn’t forgotten how to make a long pass, whether it’s with a football or basketball.

Heartbroken after his team’s loss to Algeria, Mboladinga won over fans and left a lasting impact on the tournament.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo have exited the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 after a heartbreaking extra-time loss to Algeria, but their most famous supporter has made a lasting impact on football fans and players.

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who became an instant fan favourite and social media star for his unique tribute to his nation’s hero Patrice Lumumba, bid farewell to AFCON after a meeting with the Algerian team at their hotel on Wednesday.

Dressed sharply in bright-coloured suits, Mboladinga stood out among the thousands of DR Congo fans by standing still with his right arm raised during all of his team’s games at the tournament.

“The fan who went viral for standing motionless through the full match becomes an AFCON symbol of pride, memory, and resilience,” a fan wrote in a tribute on X.

At the beginning of every match, Mboladinga would step on his pedestal and hold the pose, emulating a memorial statue of Lumumba in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

But when his team were knocked out of the tournament by Algeria with a 119th-minute goal from Adil Boulbina, he was left devastated.

Nicknamed Lumumba Vea by Congolese supporters, Mboladinga took off his glasses, wiped away his tears and, in his final act, fell back into the crowd at the end of his team’s last-16 tie.

To add insult to injury, Mboladinga was apparently mocked by Algerian player Mohamed Amoura, who ran to the Congolese end, mimicked the fan’s pose and fell to the ground in celebration.

Amoura’s gesture was widely criticised on social media, with fans calling for him to apologise to Mboladinga and the Congolese nation.

“He [Mboladinga] is bringing visibility to a historic figure who fought for Congo’s independence and stood in solidarity with the Algerian revolution against occupation,” wrote sports journalist Leyla Hamed.

The Algerian forward later posted an apology on social media, saying he wasn’t aware of the meaning and history of the gesture of the DR Congo fan.

“I simply wanted to tease, in a good-natured way, without any ill intent,” he wrote.

“I respect Congo and its team.”

In order to make further amends, the Algerian Football Association invited Mboladinga to the team’s hotel on Wednesday. He met with the players and was given a personalised Algerian team shirt with Lumumba emblazoned on the back.

DR Congo are ranked 56th in FIFA’s world rankings and have a shot at qualifying for the World Cup 2026 by booking a spot in the inter-confederation playoff final on March 31.

In the final week of the regular season, the Jags secured the division title for the third time in 26 years. They beat the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to pip the Houston Texans to the AFC South top spot.

During that game, Little scored the first 67-yard field goal in the NFL. He now has the two longest field goals in league history.

Last season, they won just four games and brought in a new head coach in Liam Coen as well as former player Tony Boselli as executive vice-president of football operations.

Under their guidance, they won 13 games and head into the play-offs on a eight-game winning streak.

“Something that coach Coen’s harped on is just going 1-0 every week,” says Little.

“Everyone’s on the same page as far as captains on the team, guys that are leaders on the team, and front office and head coach and coaching staff.

“When you combine those three levels of front office, coaching staff, and captains on the team and leaders on the team, that forms to success.

The Jaguars will now face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card round on Sunday at 18:00 GMT.

For Little, it is another special moment in his career.

“This is the first time in my career that I’ve played post-season football that matters – where you win or go home. So I think it makes for a fun environment, not only for us playing in it, but for the fans as well. It brings a side of Jacksonville that I’m excited to see.”

Who: Arsenal vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
Where: Emirates Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Thursday, January 8, at 8pm (20:00 GMT).
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Table-topping Arsenal entertain defending champions Liverpool in a mouth-watering offering in the English Premier League on Thursday, with glory on offer for the former but pride heavily at stake for the latter.

The Gunners are searching for their first league title since 2003, while the Reds are licking their wounds from a season that has almost inexplicably imploded following their runaway success last term.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the match in which a home win is fully expected, but nothing can ever be taken for granted in the Premier League.

How have Arsenal fared in the Premier League this season?

The Gunners have stormed to top spot as manager Mikel Arteta looks to go one better than three consecutive second-placed finishes in the English top flight.

Only one defeat in 21 matches to begin the season – the loss coming at Liverpool – has marked Arsenal as the team to stop on all fronts. Free-scoring in front of the goal and miserly at the back, Arteta appears to have finally cracked the code.

How do things stand in the Premier League title race?

The gap with second-placed Manchester City is six points, ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side welcoming Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Aston Villa are level on points with City, and travel to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, but their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal on December 30 was regarded as a serious dent to their title ambitions.

What has gone wrong for Liverpool in the Premier League this season?

The Reds enjoyed a stunning start to the new campaign, which made their demise this season all the more alarming. Slot’s side won their opening five league matches as part of a seven-game winning run in all competitions.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists his reigning champions can still do “special things” this season.

“It is nine games unbeaten but we have definitely had two draws too many,” Slot told a pre-match news conference on Wednesday.

A great deal of the focus for the Reds’ slide, which saw them lose the following four Premier League games on the bounce after their fine start, has focused on the fallout with their iconic forward Mohamed Salah.

Slot has insisted the club have moved on since Salah’s departure for international duty with Egypt at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but questions remain across the park.

“We haven’t had the consistency but we’ve already beaten some very good teams, so that tells you the talent is definitely there but the consistency isn’t,” he said.

Only 41 goals were conceded by Liverpool last season, but 28 have already been let in during their 20 games so far this season.

The massive summer spending spree, which was headlined by Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz as marquee signings, has seemingly unsettled the balance of a side that stormed to the title last season.

The talent of both, and the rest brought in, is quite clear, but whether Slot can gel them into a side capable of salvaging this season and beyond remains to be seen.

The manager believes his side are still in the reckoning in the league.

“There’s a lot of importance on this match because we still have a lot to play for in the Premier League,” said Slot.

What happened the last time Arsenal played Liverpool?

Liverpool secured a 1-0 win against Arsenal in an early-season encounter between the sides in the Premier League on August 31 at Anfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of the game with an explosive free-kick in the 83rd minute of an otherwise tight match.

What happened in the corresponding game between Arsenal and Liverpool last season?

The sides could not be separated in last season’s Premier League match at Emirates Stadium, although Liverpool had to twice come from behind – including a late Mohamed Salah leveller – to snare a 2-2 draw.

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino had given the Gunners the lead twice in the first half with Virgil van Dijk netting in between.

The Reds, however, had to nervously wait until the 81st minute for Salah to secure a point.

When did Arsenal last beat Liverpool?

Arsenal’s last win against Liverpool came three seasons ago, courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Emirates Stadium in February 2024.

A fiery match saw nine yellow cards shown and Reds defender Ibrahima Konate sent off in the 88th minute when his side were still searching for an equaliser.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli scored in either half to twice give the Gunners the lead, either side of Gabriel Magalhaes’s own goal.

Leandro Trossard rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute.

Stat attack – Arsenal

The Gunners are on a seven-game winning streak, during which they have netted 13 goals and conceded only six – two of which came in the win against Brighton in their last game.

The north Londoners are the only team to retain an unbeaten home record in the Premier League at this stage, winning nine of their 10 matches at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have fired in 26 goals in front of their own fans in the league this season, and conceded only five.

Bukayo Saka, such a huge part of the Gunners’ form of recent seasons, is aiming to become the first Arsenal player to score in four straight league home games against Liverpool.

Stat attack – Liverpool

Liverpool are unbeaten in nine matches, winning five, but have drawn their last two – both in the league.

The Reds have kept only one clean sheet in their last seven league matches – a 2-0 home victory against Brighton and the 0-0 draw at Leeds two games ago.

Eight goals have been shipped in that time, with 12 scored.

Four of their six defeats this season have come on the road – where they have also won four and drawn two – with 18 goals conceded on their travels and only 17 scored.

Even bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers have not shipped so many goals away from home.

Arsenal vs Liverpool – stat attack

Liverpool are unbeaten in three matches against Arsenal, winning the last match and drawing twice.

That victory for the Reds, however, ended a six-match winless run in the league, during which the Gunners won twice.

The last victory for the Reds prior to that stretch was the last time the Merseysiders won at Emirates Stadium, back in March 2022, with goals from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.

The Gunners have won two of the three league meetings in London since then.

Head-to-head

This is the 246th meeting between the sides, with Liverpool winning 95 of the matches and Arsenal emerging victorious on 81 occasions.

Arsenal team news

Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera miss out, with both struggling with ankle problems, while Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt due to an unspecified injury.

Kai Havertz was rested from the squad that was named for the win at Bournemouth and may have to make do with a place on the bench at best as his recovery from a previous injury is managed.

Predicted Arsenal starting lineup

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Liverpool team news

Salah remains at AFCON with Egypt, while Isak is a long-term absentee with a leg injury.

Fellow forward Hugo Ekitike missed the draw with Fulham due to a muscle problem and remains a doubt.

Florian Wirtz is nursing a hamstring problem but is expected to continue to play through the issue.

Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo remain longer-term absentees.

Predicted Liverpool starting lineup

Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Jones; Gakpo

Arsenal and Liverpool form guides

• Arsenal: W-W-W-W-W
• Liverpool: W-W-W-D-D

EXPLAINER

From qualified teams to match schedule and top goalscorers – here’s what you need to know about the AFCON quarterfinals.

Defending champions Ivory Coast became the last of the eight continental giants to set up a mouthwatering quarterfinal tie as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 nears its end in Morocco.

The action in the round of 16 had a bit of everything – from last-gasp winners, to a penalty shootout and one-sided goal fests – but the teams will now be more closely matched as the cream of African football rises to the top.

Here’s everything you need to know about the quarterfinals:

Which teams have qualified for the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals?

Eight of the top 10 African nations are through:

⚽ Senegal
⚽ Mali
⚽ Morocco
⚽ Cameroon
⚽ Egypt
⚽ Nigeria
⚽ Algeria
⚽ Ivory Coast

What’s the schedule of the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals?

Two matches each will be played on Friday and Saturday:

January 9

⚽ Mali vs Senegal at 5pm (16:00 GMT) – Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier

⚽ Cameroon vs Morocco at 8pm (19:00 GMT) – Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat

January 10

⚽ Algeria vs Nigeria at 5pm (16:00 GMT) – Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh

⚽ Egypt vs Ivory Coast at 8pm (19:00 GMT) – Adrar Stadium, Agadir

Which teams are favourites to win the AFCON 2025?

While holders Ivory Coast and Arab champions Morocco began the tournament as frontrunners for the title, Nigeria have jostled to the front with near-faultless performances in all their fixtures thus far.

Algeria have impressed by being the only team other than Nigeria to win all their matches, while Mohamed Salah-led Egypt have also lived up to their reputation of being a top-four African side.

Who are the top goal scorers at AFCON 2025?

At the end of the round of 16, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz leads the charts with four goals from as many games, while five other players have scored three each.

⚽ Brahim Diaz (Morocco): 4
⚽ Ademola Lookman (Nigeria): 3
⚽ Lassine Sinayoko (Mali): 3
⚽ Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco): 3
⚽ Mohamed Salah (Egypt): 3
⚽ Riyad Mahrez (Algeria): 3
⚽ Victor Osimhen (Nigeria): 3

How can I watch and follow the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals?

Al Jazeera Sport will provide live scores, as well as a photo and text commentary stream of Cameroon vs Morocco, and Algeria vs Nigeria.

Regional broadcasters, including Channel 4, beIN Sport, SuperSport and Canal+ are broadcasting the tournament.

Newcastle United may have to compete with Tottenham if they want Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, Roma’s interest in Joshua Zirkzee is complicated by Manchester United sacking Ruben Amorim and Liverpool are unlikely to let Federico Chiesa leave in January.

Newcastle United will have Tottenham for competition if they go back to Wolves in an effort to sign 25-year-old Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. (ChronicleLive), external

Tottenham are looking at signing a forward in January as the injury suffered by Ghana international Mohammed Kudus, 25, is worse than they initially thought. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Roma director Ricky Massara says the situation over any move for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, has changed following head coach Ruben Amorim’s Old Trafford exit. (Sky Sports Italia, via Football Italia), external

Juventus’ hopes of signing Italy winger Federico Chiesa, 28, from Liverpool depend on whether Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33, stays at Anfield. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Napoli are also keen on Chiesa but Liverpool have not had any formal approaches for the forward and are unlikely to allow him to leave in January. (Sky Sports News), external

Poland striker Robert Lewandowski does not want to leave Barcelona in January, despite a number of enquiries for the 37-year-old. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Bayern Munich have offered France defender Dayot Upamecano, whose current deal runs out in the summer, an improved contract extension offer and would prefer a decision sooner rather than later, while the 27-year-old appears more relaxed about the situation. (Sky Sports Germany), external

AC Milan are interested in Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, 29, but will need the German club to contribute to the South Korea international’s salary for any deal to happen. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Real Madrid’s 19-year-old striker Endrick, who has joined Lyon on loan, says Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti advised him to leave the Spanish club to get more first-team football. (Goal), external

Striker Michail Antonio, formerly of West Ham, has seen a proposed deal with Leicester City fall through after picking up a muscle injury. The 35-year-old, who has featured internationally for Jamaica, has not played a club game since a car crash in December 2024 but had been in talks over a short-term contract. (Talksport), external

South Korea forward Yang Min-hyeok, 19, is set to join Championship leaders Coventry City on loan from Tottenham. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Barcelona begin the defence of their Spanish Super Cup crown against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said that retaining the Spanish Super Cup this week would be a boost for his team’s other ambitions this season.

The record 15-time champions face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in a semifinal clash at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Barca won the competition last season as the first part of a domestic treble, the first triumph of Flick’s reign, followed by triumphs in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

“This tournament is a little bit different [to the equivalent competition] in Germany, but I like it,” said former Bayern Munich coach Flick.

“For us to win the Super Cup [last season] gave us a lot of energy for the rest of the season, and this is also what we want this year.”

Even though significant questions remain about their defending, Barcelona are the favourites to win the Super Cup and lead La Liga after nine consecutive top flight victories.

Despite being outplayed by neighbours Espanyol in a tense derby clash on Saturday, late goals and a sensational performance from stopper Joan Garcia helped the Catalans claim a 2-0 victory.

Flick insisted his team had to perform better at the back if they were to succeed in the sixth edition of the tournament in Saudi Arabia.

“It will not be an easy match [if] we make the same mistakes as on Saturday; it will not be easy, so we have to work on our things,” continued Flick.

“We have to play much better in the defence; we have to play connected as one team, and this is what I missed on Saturday, so we have to make things much better.”

Barcelona target Cancelo could be on the move from Saudi Arabia

Central defender Ronald Araujo could return to action this week after an extended mental health break.

The Uruguayan was granted leave for about a month following a red card in Barcelona’s 3-0 Champions League defeat by Chelsea in November.

“We will see this training [session] today, and I will also want to speak with him, so we have not decided how to do it tomorrow,” said Flick.

“I think it takes time, so if he feels ready for tomorrow, maybe we will change something, but at the moment, it’s not our plan to do this.”

Flick confirmed that Barcelona were close to signing Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal, who is on loan until the end of the season, but the deal has not been completed.

“With Joao, maybe he can give us more options also as full-back, both sides in the offence, good quality, but [as far as] I know, it’s not done,” said Flick.

Cancelo spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester City.

Athletic, eighth in La Liga, last won the Super Cup in 2021, beating Barcelona in the final, and have lifted the trophy on three occasions.

Only the Catalans and Real Madrid, with 13 triumphs, have a better record. On Thursday, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid face city rivals Atletico Madrid in the other Super Cup semifinal.

Liam Rosenior says he could not turn down Chelsea but admits unusual situation as a deal has not yet been signed.

Racing Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior says he has reached an agreement with Chelsea to become their next manager but has yet to sign a contract with the Premier League club.

“I ‍haven’t signed yet. I have agreed verbally with Chelsea. It’s really important – this is different to anything anyone has ever done. Nobody has made a statement before they have signed a contract,” ‍Rosenior said at a ⁠news conference on Tuesday.

“Everything is agreed, and it will probably go through in the next few hours,” he said in Strasbourg, France. “I’m here because I care about this club and I felt it was right to answer your questions physically here today before I move on.”

Rosenior added that he would take his ⁠assistants Kalifa Cisse and Justin Walker with him to the Premier League club.

The 41-year-old, who joined Ligue 1 side Racing Strasbourg in 2024, said his time at the club had been the most rewarding period of ​his career after spells at Derby County and Hull City.

“The ‌last 18 months have been a joy and the best of my professional career,” Rosenior said. “I have met some incredible people, created incredible memories and made history.”

He said he had been transparent with Strasbourg’s ‌ownership about outside interest.

“I have had interest from many clubs, including Champions League clubs, which I have always been open ‌with to our president, Marc Keller, and our ownership,” ⁠Rosenior said. “I will love this club for the rest of my life, but I cannot turn down Chelsea.”

Little-known Rosenior had been widely touted as the front runner to succeed Enzo Maresca since the Italian was sacked on Thursday, not least because Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by the same consortium, BlueCo.

Rosenior, who has no Premier League coaching experience, will become Chelsea’s fourth permanent boss since BlueCo took control of the Londoners in 2022.

Chelsea has yet to confirm the appointment but held talks with Rosenior in London on Monday.

Marcus Rashford might have a route back to Manchester United, trio may stay at Old Trafford after Ruben Amorim exit, Juventus keen on Federico Chiesa return.

Manchester United sacking Ruben Amorim could provide England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, who is on loan at Barcelona, with a route back to Old Trafford. (Mirror), external

Oliver Glasner is likely to be Manchester United‘s top target to replace the sacked Amorim. The club’s hierarchy are huge admirers of the 51-year-old Austrian, whose Crystal Palace contract expires in the summer. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Fulham are preparing for an approach from Manchester United for their Portuguese manager Marco Silva. (Sun), external

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, and Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 24, were all desperate to leave Manchester United in January had Amorim stayed. (Mail – subscription required), external

Juventus have started talks with Liverpool over a loan move for Federico Chiesa, with the 28-year-old Italy forward open to a return to the Serie A club where he spent two seasons between 2022-2024. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Bournemouth were prepared to pay 40m euros (£34.7m) for Stuttgart and Germany winger Jamie Leweling as a replacement for their 25-year-old Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo, who is closing in on a transfer to Manchester City, but the Bundesliga club rejected the Cherries’ offer. (Sky Sports – in German), external

Chelsea will have to act fast if they are to sign Jeremy Jacquet, 20, from Rennes, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United all keen on the French defender. (Teamtalk), external

Barcelona have made an offer to take Al-Hilal and Portugal defender Joao Cancelo, 31, on loan, with Inter Milan also keen. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Nottingham Forest‘s head of football Edu faces doubts over his long-term future as the club continue to endure a turbulent season. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Crystal Palace are prepared to rival West Ham to sign Norway forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, 25, from Wolves. (Mail – subscription required), external

Tottenham have held talks with Santos over a deal for their highly rated Brazilian left-back Souza, 19, who is also interesting Newcastle. (Teamtalk), external

England forward Callum Wilson, 33, is in talks to end his West Ham contract after just five months at the club. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has held talks over becoming the new Strasbourg head coach, with the French club’s current manager Liam Rosenior closing in on replacing Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Crystal Palace 20-year-old England Under-21 forward Romain Esse is set to spend the remainder of the season on loan at Championship leaders Coventry City. (Sky Sports), external

Nigeria will face Algeria or DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal after a 4-0 win against Mozambique.

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Nigeria made short work of Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations, cruising into the quarterfinals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory in their last-16 tie.

Ademola Lookman, a former winner of the African footballer of the year award, like Osimhen, opened the scoring after 20 minutes in Fes on Monday and helped set up the other three goals on the night.

Osimhen had started the game without wearing his trademark mask, but restored the face covering before netting Nigeria’s second goal on 25 minutes. He then scored again just after half-time before Akor Adams sealed the win.

It is the biggest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie since Egypt hammered Algeria 4-0 in the semifinals at the 2010 tournament in Angola.

Determined to make up for their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the Super Eagles march on to a last-eight tie on Saturday in Marrakesh against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The teams clash in the last 16 on Tuesday, and a victory in the game for the DRC would offer Nigeria a chance to avenge their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying playoff in November.

Mozambique appeared in the knockout phase of an AFCON for the first time after advancing as one of the best third-placed sides in the group stage.

They were no match for a Nigerian team that was much-changed from their final group game, when coach Eric Chelle offered a chance to several fringe players for a 3-1 victory against Uganda.

Atalanta forward Lookman, who scored in the 3-2 win over Tunisia in the second group match, was among those brought back into the lineup, and Africa’s best player in 2024 gave his team the lead as the midway point in the first half approached.

Alex Iwobi’s through ball released Adams on the left side of the box, and his cutback was converted first-time by Lookman.

The 28-year-old then turned provider, with his cross from the left in the 25th minute being helped on by Adams, for Osimhen to poke the ball in from close range.

The Galatasaray striker emerged unscathed soon after that, despite going into a challenge with Witi, which saw the Mozambique player knee Osimhen in the stomach.

Lookman’s low ball across the face of goal from the left was finished off by Osimhen to make it 3-0 in the 47th minute and end any prospect of a Mozambique comeback.

The 2023 African player of the year had gone seven AFCON matches without scoring before netting against Tunisia in the group stage. He now has three to his name at the tournament in Morocco.

Lookman was not finished for the night as he supplied Adams inside the box with a quarter of an hour remaining, and the Sevilla forward rifled a shot high into the net.

Earlier in the day, Egypt needed extra time to overcome Benin 3-1 to book their place in the next round, where either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso await.

Goals either side of half-time by Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane took Cameroon through to the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals at South Africa’s expense, as the Indomitable Lions edged their last-16 clash 2-1.

Tchamadeu opened the scoring in the 34th minute at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, and teenage Bayer Leverkusen forward Kofane headed in the crucial second goal two minutes after half-time.

A late rally from South Africa saw Evidence Makgopa pull one back, but it is Cameroon who go through. The five-time champions now play the hosts, Morocco, in a heavyweight quarterfinal on Friday.

They can go into that match in a relaxed mood, knowing all the pressure is on Morocco as they look to win a first AFCON title in 50 years in front of their home support.

For Cameroon, reaching the last eight means their AFCON is already a success after a chaotic buildup in which Samuel Eto’o, the football federation president and Indomitable Lions legend, sacked the coach, Marc Brys, replacing him with David Pagou.

The new coach got the better of South Africa’s Hugo Broos, who had promised to show no mercy to Cameroon, nine years after leading them to their last continental crown at the Cup of Nations in Gabon.

Bafana Bafana, who finished third at the last AFCON two years ago in Ivory Coast, will be hugely disappointed, but they can console themselves by turning their attentions towards the upcoming World Cup.

Yet, South Africa had chances to take an early lead, with Relebohile Mofokeng squandering a golden opportunity inside seven minutes.

Cameroon defender Che Malone failed to deal with a simple ball forward, to leave Mofokeng in on goal, but the Orlando Pirates forward blazed over.

Lyle Foster then had the ball in the net only to be denied by the offside flag, and instead, Cameroon went in front just after the half-hour mark.

When the South African defence could only partially clear a corner, the ball fell to Carlos Baleba on the edge of the area.

He took a touch and tried a shot which was deflected into the path of Tchamadeu, and the London-born full-back with Stoke City rolled home from close range.

That goal – confirmed after a long VAR check – was celebrated by the Cameroonian fans, who made up the majority of the 14,127 crowd, with two-time AFCON winner as a player Eto’o among those in attendance.

South Africa would have hoped for a strong start to the second half, but instead, Cameroon scored again within two minutes of the restart.

Substitute Mahamadou Nagida crossed from the left, and Kofane headed in his second goal of the tournament so far.

Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy then made good saves from Samukele Kabini and from a Teboho Mokoena free-kick, before Makgopa turned in a low cross by fellow substitute Aubrey Modiba on 88 minutes.

That set up a grandstand finish, but Cameroon nervously held on.

Morocco see off Tanzania

Earlier on Sunday, Brahim Diaz scored his fourth goal for Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to put the hosts into the quarterfinals with a nervous 1-0 Round-of-16 victory over Tanzania in Rabat.

Morocco dominated possession, but ⁠Tanzania had opportunities too, and it took a fine strike from Diaz to book a ​place in the last eight.

Captain Achraf Hakimi fed Diaz on the right side of the box on 64 minutes, and the Real Madrid playmaker worked his way to the byline before firing into ‍the goal from ⁠a tight angle when most expected a cross.

Morocco wasted several other chances, but were also fortunate that Tanzania were wasteful too, with Simon Msuva and Feisal Salum missing gilt-edged opportunities for the East Africans, with the score at 0-0.

It was far from a vintage performance from the home side, who have yet to click into top gear at the tournament, but they did enough to keep their campaign on track.

“The ​competition is hotting up, and we faced our toughest opponent in ‌this Tanzania team,” Diaz said.

“Not everything worked, we know that, but fortunately, we managed to secure our qualification [to the next round]. Now, we are going back to work to be fully ready for the quarterfinals.”

Adam Wharton emerges as a target for Real Madrid, Crystal Palace are assessing several options, AC Milan are keeping tabs on Nathan Ake.

Real Madrid look set to rival Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United for Crystal Palace‘s 21-year-old England midfielder Adam Wharton. (AS – in Spanish), external

Crystal Palace have several targets lined up for January with Bayern Munich’s French right-back Sacha Boey, 25, Wolves‘ Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, and Auxerre’s French midfielder Kevin Danois, 21, all on their list. (Mail+ – subscription required), external

AC Milan are monitoring the situation of Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, 30, at Manchester City as they ponder several options. (Corriere dello Sport – in Italian), external

Chelsea are putting together a package worth £130m in an attempt to convince Real Madrid into selling 25-year-old Brazil winger Vinicius Jr. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Argentina striker Taty Castellanos, 27, is set for a medical at West Ham before completing a £27m move from Lazio. (Talksport), external

Tottenham sent scouts to watch French winger Maghnes Akliouche, 23, feature for Monaco against Lyon on Saturday. (Teamtalk), external

Eintracht Frankfurt are in negotiations with Newcastle about signing 22-year-old Danish striker William Osula. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Egypt winger Omar Marmoush, 26, is attracting interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham but wants to stay and fight for his place at Manchester City. (Football Insider), external

Bournemouth are battling with Fiorentina, Cagliari and Genoa for Atalanta’s 25-year-old Italy midfielder Marco Brescianini. (Calciomercato), external

Tottenham have turned their attention to Udinese’s French defender Oumar Solet, 25, but face competition from Chelsea and Crystal Palace. (Caught Offside), external

Sunderland are prepared to let Luke O’Nien, 31, depart this month with Birmingham, Coventry and West Bromwich Albion interested in the English defender. (Chronicle), external

Bournemouth‘s Argentine left-back Julio Soler, 20, has emerged as a loan target for Watford. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Barcelona are considering a £70m offer from Sunderland for 22-year-old Spain winger Fermin Lopez. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

England winger Raheem Sterling, 31, looks set to secure a way out of Chelsea in January with Newcastle the latest Premier League club to express an interest. (Football Insider), external

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as South Africa face Cameroon in a last-16 showdown.

Who: Nigeria vs Mozambique
What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Fez Stadium in Fez, Morocco
When: Monday at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Fun, flair and fragility sum up Nigeria’s ongoing campaign at AFCON 2025.

As the tournament’s leading attacking force, Nigeria have laid down an early marker as title contenders but while the West Africans boast impressive squad depth, they still need to shore up a leaky defence.

The Super Eagles have moved on swiftly from the heartbreak of missing out on the FIFA World Cup and have been flying high in Morocco on the back of a talented squad featuring Ademola Lookman, Raphael Onyedika, Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi.

As one of only two teams to maintain a perfect group-stage record, the former champions now face Mozambique, who for the first time advanced past the group stage, for a place in the quarterfinals.

Ranked 102nd in the world, Mozambique are up for a historic knockout appearance, facing the daunting task of taking on a side ranked 74 places above them.

Here’s everything you need to know about Nigeria vs Mozambique:

How did Nigeria reach the round of 16?

The African powerhouse soared into the knockouts as the table toppers of Group C, registering victories over Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Nigeria were the first team to reach the last 16 with a 100 percent record.

How did Mozambique reach the round of 16?

Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed sides. The Mambas lost two Group F games and won one, against Gabon, which ended their 40-year wait for a victory at the continental tournament. They are making their first appearance in AFCON’s knockout stages.

Who will the winner face in the next round?

The winner of the Nigeria and Mozambique match will travel to Marrakesh to face the winner of the Algeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo match in the quarterfinal on January 10.

Who are Nigeria’s best players?

With two goals and two assists, forward Lookman has been one of Nigeria’s standout players at the tournament. The 28-year-old was the architect of the team’s victories in their opening two games, equally influential as both a playmaker and a finisher.

Rested for the final group match, Lookman is expected to come out all guns blazing against their East African opponents.

Midfielder Onyedika, who scored twice in the last match, is another key contributor while Iwobi has been pulling the strings in the midfield, and striker Osimhen remains one of the most feared attackers in the competition.

Who are Mozambique’s best players?

Winger Geny Catamo has scored two of Mozambique’s four goals at the tournament and has been central to their historic qualification. Forward Faisal Bangal and right back Diogo Calila have also found the net.

Nigeria and Mozambique form guides

Nigeria: W-W-W-L-L

Mozambique: L-W-L-L-D

• Nigeria finished the group stage with eight goals, the highest tally in the competition, while also recording the highest average possession rate (66 percent).
• Nigeria have won all three of their group games for the first time since 2021.
• Mozambique’s victory over Gabon is their only win in 18 AFCON matches (D4 L13).
• Mozambique are yet to keep a clean sheet at AFCON, conceding in all 18 games.

Head-to-head

Nigeria and Mozambique have met in five previous encounters across competitive and friendly games.

Nigeria dominate the head-to-head record with four wins and a draw.

When did Nigeria and Mozambique last meet?

The teams last met in a friendly in Albufeira, Portugal, in October 2023 when Nigeria won 3-2.

Nigeria vs Mozambique – stat attack

Monday’s game will be their second meeting at AFCON. Their previous AFCON encounter came in the final group game of the 2010 edition when Nigeria ran out 3-0 winners.

This is Nigeria’s 16th successive appearance in the knockout rounds, having last failed to progress beyond the group stage in 1982.

Have Nigeria ever won an AFCON title?

Nigeria are three-time AFCON champions, having lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994 and 2013.

They also finished as runners-up five times. This is their 21st appearance at the continental championship.

Have Mozambique ever won an AFCON title?

No. This is their sixth appearance at the tournament, and the 2025 edition already marks their best finish.

Nigeria team news

Cyriel Dessers, who is yet to feature, and Ryan Alebiosu, who made his debut in the previous game, are both ruled out through injury. Their absence is unlikely to have a major impact because neither is a regular starter.

Coach Eric Chelle could retain Onyedika in midfield after his brace in the last game, which earned him the player of the match award.

Nigeria’s predicted lineup

Stanley Nwabili (goalkeeper); Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi, Onyedika, Iwobi; Osimhen, Lookman

Mozambique team news

Mozambique will be without Calila, who was taken off in the last game after only 15 minutes due to an injury. Nene, who scored an own goal against Cameroon, is also injured.

Mozambique’s predicted lineup

Ivane Urrubal (goalkeeper); Infren Nani, Mexer, Reinildo Mandava, Bruno Langa; Guima, Manuel Kambala; Catamo, Elias Pelembe, Witi; Bangal

Mali win penalty shootout after a 1-1 last-16 draw to set up Africa Cup ‍of Nations quarterfinal with Senegal.

El Bilal Toure scored the winning spot-kick as a 10-man Mali beat Tunisia 3-2 on penalties to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals after their last-16 tie had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

It looked as if Tunisia had got the job done on Saturday against a Mali side forced to play most of the game a man down when substitute Firas Chaouat headed the Carthage Eagles in front in the 88th minute.

Mali had defender Woyo Coulibaly sent off in the 26th minute at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, but earned a reprieve when they were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

Lassine Sinayoko converted from the spot to take the tie to extra time and, eventually, on to the decisive shootout.

Captain Yves Bissouma, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, blazed Mali’s first kick over the bar, but Ali Abdi then missed for Tunisia before Eagles goalkeeper Djigui Diarra saved two further penalties and Toure won it.

Tom Saintfiet’s Mali advanced to a quarterfinal next Friday in Tangier against West African neighbours Senegal, after the 2022 champions came from behind to beat Sudan 3-1 earlier.

Mali have never won the Cup of Nations, and their prospects here were not helped when right-back Coulibaly, currently based in Italy’s Serie A with Sassuolo, was shown a straight red card for raking his studs down the back of Hannibal Mejbri’s calf.

Yet, the game remained goalless and extra time was looming when Tunisia finally made their numerical superiority count as Elias Saad flighted a ball into the box and Club Africain striker Chaouat stole a march on his marker to head home.

That goal was celebrated by the majority of the 41,982 crowd in Morocco’s largest city, with many locals choosing to give their backing to their fellow North Africans.

And yet, a tie that appeared to be over took a dramatic twist in injury time, with South African referee Abongile Tom pointing to the spot when the ball struck the arm of Tunisia defender Yassine Meriah inside the area.

Auxerre forward Sinayoko kept his cool through a long delay as the official consulted with the VAR team before converting the penalty, with the match in the 96th minute.

Tunisia toiled to create chances in extra time as heavy rain fell. The conditions forced many spectators in the largely uncovered stadium to abandon their seats.

Chaouat had the ball in the net again at the start of the second period of extra time, but was this time denied by the offside flag.

A penalty shootout appeared inevitable, and so it transpired, with Bissouma and Nene Dorgeles failing from the spot for Mali.

However, Abdi’s miss and Diarra’s saves from Elias Achouri and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane allowed Mali to win it, when Toure, who had failed to score a penalty in the same stadium against Zambia in the group stage, stepped up to score.

Who: South Africa vs Cameroon
What: CAF 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Al Barid Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
When: Sunday, January 4, 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

A crunch encounter awaits in arguably the tie of the round in the last 16 at the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) between South Africa and Cameroon.

The showdown at the compact Al Medina Stadium in Rabat has the makings of a fascinating contest between a Bafana Bafana side building towards the World Cup and a Cameroon team that entered the AFCON in disarray.

Cameroonian football federation president and Indomitable Lions legend Samuel Eto’o sacked national team coach Marc Brys just weeks before the competition started, replacing him with David Pagou.

His opposite number on Sunday, Hugo Broos, led Cameroon to an unlikely 2017 AFCON title

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the mouth-watering match-up.

How did South Africa reach the 2025 AFCON last 16?

South Africa’s 2-1 victory against near neighbours Angola was the first time they opened an AFCON with a win in 21 years.

Oswin Appollis had given South Africa the lead, but Show had Angola level by the break, before Lyle Foster netted the winner from outside the box.

Mohamed Salah led 10-man Egypt to a 1-0 win against South Africa in the second group stage match, and in doing so, he secured the Pharaohs’ place in the next round.

The Liverpool player converted a penalty on 45 minutes, but South Africa were denied a spot kick late in the second half, when Yasser Ibrahim appeared to handle the ball inside the box.

The crunch game came against another neighbouring country for Bafana Bafana as Appollis scored a penalty in the ‍final ‍10 minutes to hand South Africa a 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe.

South Africa finished with six points in the group, one behind ‍winners Egypt. ⁠

How did Cameroon reach the 2025 AFCON last 16?

Cameroon opened with a 1-0 win against Gabon as Karl Etta Eyong, assisted by Bryan Mbeumo, settled the game with his sixth-minute strike.

A point was rescued against defending champions Ivory Coast in their second match after Amad Diallo gave the Ivorians the lead in the 51st minute, only for Ghislain Konan to put through his own net five minutes later – Konan had laid on the assist for Diallo only moments earlier.

Cameroon again had to come from behind in their final group stage match against Mozambique, with a thunderbolt from Christian Kofane delivering a 2-1 victory.

Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished level on seven points, and both had a plus-two goal difference. The Ivorians topped the table because they scored five goals to Cameroon’s four.

Who will South Africa or Sudan face in the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals?

The winner will face the victor of the match between the hosts, Morocco, and Tanzania in Rabat on January 9.

Who are South Africa’s key players?

Foster is the main man for Bafana Bafana, and has already netted one crucial goal with his late winner in his side’s opening match against Angola.

Sipho Mbule has been given a role of greater-than-expected responsibility at the tournament, starting high up the park, along with Foster, in an attack-minded setup.

At the other end of the pitch, Ronwen Williams remains a pillar of strength in South Africa’s goal.

Who are Cameroon’s key players?

With seven goals across all competitions, Bryan Mbeumo headed into the tournament as Manchester United’s standout performer in an otherwise mixed and chaotic season for the Red Devils.

An injury kept Mbeumo out of the previous AFCON, but this time, the 26-year-old has a golden opportunity to clinch his first trophy with Cameroon.

Carlos Baleba arrived at AFCON without any major-tournament experience, but the 21-year-old has already produced performances that belie his age.

Have South Africa ever won an AFCON?

South Africa have won the tournament only once, when they were the hosts in 1996. Bafana Bafana were also finalists in 1998, while they were the bronze medallists at the last AFCON.

Have Cameroon ever won an AFCON?

Cameroon lifted two out of three AFCONs between 1982-1986, beating Nigeria in both finals. The 1984 title went to Egypt, with the Indomitable Lions the defeated finalists.

Back-to-back titles were secured in 2000 and 2002, while a further defeat to Egypt came in the 2008 final, before Cameroon lifted their fifth and last title in 2017.

When did South Africa and Cameroon last meet?

The last encounter between the sides ended in a 0-0 draw in a qualifier for the 2016 ACFON.

The match was played in South Africa, while the reverse qualifier in Cameroon ended in a 2-2 draw.

The sides have drawn their last three encounters.

Have South Africa and Cameroon ever played at an AFCON finals before?

The only meeting between the teams at an AFCON event was in the 1996 edition, hosted and won by South Africa.

Bafana Bafana, making their debut at the tournament, were 3-0 winners in the group stage encounter, which was also the opening game of that edition.

When did South Africa first meet Cameroon?

The first match between the sides was of particular note, given it was South Africa’s first match after apartheid ended.

Bafana Bafana claimed a 1-0 win in the match on July 7, 1992, which was played in Durban.

It was the first of a three-game series between the sides, which saw South Africa claim two wins to Cameroon’s one.

Head-to-head

This is the 10th meeting with the draw being the overall winner in previous encounters, accounting for five of the results between the African giants.

Bafana Bafana have claimed victory on three occasions, however, leading Cameroon with just one win in matches between the sides.

South Africa team news

Broos confirmed that Sphephelo Sithole’s omission against Zimbabwe was a tactical decision and not injury-related.

Relebohile Mofokeng and Bathusi Aubaas are both battling for a place.

South Africa predicted starting lineup

Williams, Mudau, Modiba, Mbokazi, Ngezana, Mokoena, Aubaas, Mbule, Mofokeng, Appollis, Foster

Cameroon team news

Captain Nouhou Tolo was forced off with a hamstring injury against Mozambique. He was replaced in defence by Christopher Wooh, who will be on standby once more, should Tolo fail to recover.

Mbeumo and Baleba were both removed at half-time in that game so as to avoid bookings that would have led to suspensions for this match.

Cameroon predicted starting lineup

Epassy, Tolo, Kotto, Malone, Yongwa, Baleba, Namaso, Tchamadeu, Ebong, Mbeumo, Kofane

Declan Rice shrugged off a knee injury to extend Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the Premier League to six points with a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Bournemouth.

A rare Gabriel Magalhaes error gifted the Cherries an early opener through Evanilson on Saturday, but the Brazilian quickly redeemed himself to level.

Rice had been a doubt after missing Tuesday’s 4-1 demolition of Aston Villa due to knee swelling.

The England international returned to the starting lineup and doubled his tally for the season with two composed finishes either side of the hour mark.

Eli Kroupi’s fine strike gave Bournemouth hope, but Arsenal comfortably saw out the closing stage to move seven points clear of Manchester City, who host managerless Chelsea in their game in hand on Sunday.

There had been a glimmer of hope for Pep Guardiola’s men when Arsenal conceded after just 10 minutes.

Gabriel mishit his attempted cross-field pass towards Jurrien Timber and presented the ball to his compatriot Evanilson, who slotted past David Raya for his first home goal of the season.

Arsenal’s towering centre-back netted on his first start for nearly two months against Villa in midweek and showed his eye for goal once more to equalise within six minutes

Gabriel pounced to slam home Noni Madueke’s deflected cross for his 20th Premier League goal since he joined the Gunners in 2020 — seven more than any other defender.

Rice has also turned into a useful source of important goals since being pushed into a more advanced role this season.

He was perfectly picked out by Martin Odegaard to slot in from the edge of the box to put the visitors in front on 56 minutes.

Bukayo Saka came off the bench to create Arsenal’s third as Rice swept home his cut-back.

Bournemouth remain without a win, stretching back 11 games to October 26.

However, only five sides have scored more Premier League goals this season than Andoni Iraola’s men.

A stunning strike by Kropi from long range set up a nervy finale.

But Mikel Arteta’s men held firm to take another big step towards ending their 22-year wait to lift the Premier League title.

Villa beat Forest, while West Ham ’embarrassed’ at Wolves

Aston Villa beat struggling Nottingham Forest 3-1 at their home fortress to ease the pain of their midweek mauling by Arsenal, leapfrogging Manchester City into second place in the Premier League.

Ollie Watkins’s strike on the cusp of half-time gave Unai Emery’s side a deserved lead, and John McGinn scored twice in the second half, either side of a Morgan Gibbs-White goal for the visitors.

Villa’s 11-game winning streak in all competitions was brought to a shuddering halt with a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, raising doubts about their ability to maintain a title charge.

But their impressive record at Villa Park remains intact – they have now won 11 straight matches there since a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in August.

Villa boss Emery told Sky Sports that his players and coaching staff had held a meeting after their chastening loss to Arsenal.

“I am so happy,” he said. “We had to recover our energy and our confidence. Here, at Villa Park, the energy we create was really important.

“Forest are competitive. After the Arsenal match, we met the players and staff: how we are doing this season, how we are feeling, how we needed to keep the same consistency as before, how we needed to be together and strong.”

Villa started brightly on a bitingly cold day in Birmingham, but struggled to make their dominance count in a tepid first half.

But the in-form Watkins broke the deadlock in the closing moments of a half in which they enjoyed nearly 80 percent possession.

The England international received the ball outside the area from Morgan Rogers and slammed home for his fourth goal in three games.

McGinn doubled Villa’s lead in the 49th minute, side-footing home from a Matty Cash cross.

Villa appeared to be cruising, but Forest were back in the game in the 61st minute courtesy of a fine finish from Gibbs-White, who chipped past the diving Emi Martinez.

The home side were gifted a third goal in the 73rd minute when Forest goalkeeper John Victor inexplicably vacated his goalmouth to try to reach a long ball from Youri Tielemans, even though there were defenders nearby.

Scotland midfielder McGinn collected the ball and remained cool, sidestepping Victor and stroking the ball into the empty net with his left foot from well outside the area.

The win took Villa to 42 points, one ahead of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who host managerless Chelsea on Sunday.

Forest, who have now suffered four straight league defeats, remain one place above the relegation zone, four points clear of West Ham, who were thumped 3-0 at bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

“The first half was embarrassing, and I have to apologise to the fans – this is not what we want to show,” beleaguered Hammers’ manager Nuno Espirito Santo said after.

Elsewhere, second-bottom Burnley lost 2-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is out of Sunday’s Real Betis clash in La Liga, but could be fast tracked for return in Atletico Super Cup derby.

Real Madrid forward Kylian ‌Mbappe will miss Sunday’s La Liga home game against Real Betis due ‍to a knee ‍injury but is pushing to be available for next week’s Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Atletico Madrid, manager Xabi Alonso has said.

The 27-year-old France captain, who equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record of 59 ⁠goals in a calendar year for Real in their 2-0 La Liga win over Sevilla ​on December 20, has a sprain in his left knee.

The initial assumption was that such an injury would mean a spell of at least three weeks on the sidelines.

“We’ll ‍definitely miss Kylian,” Alonso told reporters on Saturday. “We have to have a lot of faith in those who are going to play tomorrow.

“Now we’ll see. We have to wait and see how things ‍develop, and ⁠we’ll do everything we can to get him back as soon as possible.

“We’re going to be pushing the deadlines; it’s very much a matter of feelings. When is as soon as possible? That’s the question. I don’t know. The Super Cup? We hope.”

Alonso’s men were five points clear at the top before their form took a downturn in November. They ​drew three league games in a row before suffering ‌a shock loss to Celta Vigo at home in December, allowing defending champions Barcelona to surge four points ahead in the title race.

Real’s dip in form has coincided with a goalless run ‌for forward Vinicius Jr. The 25-year-old Brazilian winger, who scored 22 goals last season, has struck just five times ‌across all competitions this term and has not ⁠found the net since October.

When asked how Vinicius is doing after being booed by a section of fans in their last match against Sevilla at the Bernabeu, Alonso said: “Vini looks fine to me, ‌cheerful and smiling. The break has been good for all of us to recharge our batteries.

“Tomorrow, we are the ones who have to give in order to ‍receive, to spread that enthusiasm and rhythm that we need. If that flows in both directions, we will enjoy ourselves.”

Senegal come from behind to ease past Sudan 3-1 ⁠and book their ‍place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals.

Pape Gueye scored twice, and teenager Ibrahim Mbaye grabbed the winner four minutes after coming off the bench to clinch a 3-1 victory for Senegal over Sudan in Tangier in the first Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match.

Rattled by an early Aamir Abdallah goal for Sudan on Saturday, Senegal recovered to lead 2-1 at half-time through Pape Gueye’s goals. Mbaye then put the outcome beyond doubt after 77 minutes.

Former champions Senegal will face Mali or Tunisia, who meet in Casablanca later on Saturday, in the quarterfinals.

It was predicable result as Senegal are 99 places higher in the world rankings than Sudan, who were representing a country ravaged by civil war since April 2023.

Senegal made six changes to the team that started a 3-0 win over Botswana in their final group match. A notable absentee was suspended captain and centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Ghana-born Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah retained only one of the team that began a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso – forward Abdallah.

It was the first meeting of the countries at an AFCON tournament. They were in the same 2026 World Cup qualifying group, though, with Senegal winning at home and drawing away.

Sudan rocked Senegal by taking a sixth-minute lead through Abdallah, a semi-professional who plays for an Australian second-tier club in Melbourne.

It was a superb goal as the Sudan striker took possession just inside the area and curled the ball over former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and into the net.

Sudan had qualified for the knockout stage as one of the best four third-placed nations despite failing to score in three group matches. An own goal brought victory over Equatorial Guinea.

A brave save from Monged Abuzaid on 29 minutes foiled Nicolas Jackson, who is on loan to Bayern Munich from Chelsea, but Senegal equalised almost immediately after.

Former African player of the year Sadio Mane set up Pape Gueye, who equalised with a low shot into the corner of the net.

Senegal were attacking continuously while Sudan had little to offer going forward in a match watched by Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe from South Africa.

The Mauritanian referee pointed to the penalty spot after Ismaila Sarr was fouled by Abuzaid. However, the decision was reversed after a long VAR review revealed a Senegalese player was offside in the buildup.

Ismaila Sarr from Crystal Palace then scored, only to be ruled offside in another let-off for the Sudanese.

Abuzaid was constantly in action and did well to push away a Pape Gueye shot with an outstretched right hand as half-time approached.

There was still time for Pape Gueye to score again, however, and give Senegal a half-time advantage in the Mediterranean city.

The goal was brilliantly executed by the midfielder from La Liga club Villarreal three minutes into added time. He used his left foot to side-foot a cross into the net past Abuzaid.

Senegal introduced Mbaye midway through the second half as they sought the insurance of a third goal. He made an immediate impact, latching on to a long pass and beating Abuzaid at his near post.

The 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward represented France at age-limit levels before switching his international allegiance to Senegal, where his father was born.

Hugo Broos lead Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title but will have be no room for sentimentality with his South Africa side.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos has promised to show “no mercy” to Cameroon when he comes up against his former side in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.

Broos will lead Bafana Bafana out at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat against the nation he led to an unexpected AFCON triumph in Gabon in 2017.

“Tomorrow’s game is surely a special game for me. If you win an AFCON with a country, then a part of them stays in your heart, but tomorrow I can’t have mercy for them because I am the coach of South Africa now and I want to win the game,” Belgian Broos told reporters Saturday in the Moroccan capital.

“They are a very good team, a young team, and they have a good fighting spirit and mentality, which means if we want to beat them, we will have to be at our best.”

Cameroon took seven points from a possible nine in the group stage in Morocco despite a chaotic build-up to the tournament.

Coach Marc Brys was sacked by football federation president and Indomitable Lions legend Samuel Eto’o only a few weeks before their opening game, with David Pagou appointed as his replacement.

“I would have preferred to face Cameroon in the final – maybe now is a little too soon,” Broos said.

“I was curious to see Cameroon with all the changes in their team, and I have been surprised. They did not have much preparation time, but the coach has done a good job, and for us it will be a difficult match.”

He added, “No mercy tomorrow! You can be sure. I have to win that game, that is all that counts.”

South Africa upset with Morocco AFCON setup before Cameroon test

Meanwhile, the 73-year-old expressed anger at tournament organisers for forcing his side to train at the Moroccan national team’s facility, a 45-minute drive away from their hotel in Rabat.

Whoever wins on Sunday will face Morocco in the quarterfinals, should the hosts see off outsiders Tanzania in their last-16 tie.

“I don’t understand why CAF [the Confederation of African Football] allowed that. I have to say that because it makes me unhappy,” Broos complained.

Bafana Bafana, who have qualified for this year’s World Cup, are hoping to at least match their run to the semifinals at the last Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast in 2024.

But their coach admits that could be a tall order given the depth of quality left in the competition.

“It was the ambition when we came here to do at least as well as two years ago, but I said this tournament would be much more difficult.

“At the last AFCON, a lot of big teams were knocked out early, but this time they are all here, which means to get to the final, even the semifinals, it will be much more difficult, but our ambition remains intact.”

Follow our live build-up with full team news, in advance of our text commentary stream of the last 16 tie.