Morocco booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Friday night, January 9, with a composed 2-0 win over Cameroon in Rabat.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Morocco’s win brought an end to the Indomitable Lions’ AFCON 2025 campaign and set up a potential heavyweight clash with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The quarter-final clash played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, saw the hosts take control early. A first-half header from Brahim Díaz and a second-half finish by Ismael Saibari sealed the result in front of a lively home crowd.

Morocco struck the decisive opening blow in the 26th minute. Díaz rose unmarked inside the box to glance home a header after a precise delivery from Ayoub El Kaabi, silencing Cameroon’s early momentum and giving the Atlas Lions a deserved lead.

Cameroon attempted to respond with greater urgency after the break, but clear chances proved hard to come by. Their evening was further complicated by injuries and a flurry of substitutions as they searched for inspiration. Despite enjoying spells of possession, the Indomitable Lions failed to register a single shot on target.

Morocco made their depth count midway through the second half. Fresh legs were introduced by coach Walid Regragui, including Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofyan Amrabat, as the hosts looked to kill off the tie.

The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when Saibari doubled the lead, calmly finishing after being teed up by Nayef Aguerd to put the result beyond doubt.

From that point on, Morocco managed the game with maturity, slowing the pace and soaking up Cameroon’s late pressure. Substitutions late on, including the withdrawal of Díaz to warm applause, allowed the hosts to see out the closing minutes without alarm.

The victory means Morocco now turn their attention to the semi-finals, where they could face the Super Eagles of Nigeria. That meeting will depend on the outcome of Saturday’s quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria on January 10.

Should the Super Eagles progress, they will meet the tournament hosts on Wednesday, January 14, in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of AFCON 2025.

Manchester United have recalled two of their players, Sonny Aljofree and Louis Jackson from loan.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Red Devils disclosed this in a statement via their website on Thursday.

Aljofree and Jackson were recalled from loans with Notts County and Solihull Moors, respectively.

Aljofree made 11 appearances for the Magpies, scoring once during his time at the club.

The defender, who was part of the 2022 FA Youth Cup-winning squad, represented club’s first-team in pre-season fixtures

Jackson, on the other hand, has been gaining senior experience with Solihull since August.

This is coming less than a week after Toby Collyer was recalled from his loan spell at West Brom.

Nigeria’s captain Wilfred Ndidi has shown the leadership qualities that gave him the Super Eagles armband by offering to pay outstanding bonuses for his teammates and country staff....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has stepped forward with a dramatic intervention as Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign risks being overshadowed by unpaid bonuses.

With tensions rising ahead of the quarter-final clash against Algeria, the midfielder has vowed to personally cover the players’ entitlements if authorities fail to act in time.

Ndidi offers to pay teammates to prevent boycott

According to respected journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, Ndidi has made an extraordinary commitment in a bid to keep the Super Eagles focused on football.

The Besiktas star revealed he has been pushing the squad to continue training and remain committed to preparations despite the ongoing bonus dispute.

“I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game vs Algeria. I’ve been doing this since the second game,” Ndidi was quoted as saying. He went further by assuring both players and coaching staff that he would personally step in if necessary. “I’ve now made a commitment to the staff & players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authority fail to before Saturday. I don’t want this unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations.”

The offer comes amid reports that players were considering boycotting training and travel to Marrakech after failing to receive win bonuses from victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Mozambique.

Nigeria topped Group C with a perfect record before thrashing Mozambique 4–0 in the Round of 16, making the standoff particularly frustrating at such a crucial stage.
NFF and CBN respond as pressure mounts

As the situation escalated, the Nigerian Football Federation moved to calm nerves by explaining the delay.

According to a previous Pulse Sports Nigeria report, a senior NFF official confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria is processing the payments directly into the individual bank accounts of players and officials.

The federation insists the funds have been released and that all outstanding bonuses will be paid once the banking process is completed.

With the Super Eagles set to face Algeria on Saturday, January 10, the NFF will be hoping Ndidi’s leadership and the promised payments prevent a damaging distraction as Eric Chelle’s side chase AFCON glory.