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AFCON 2025: Beating Nigeria Would Be A Statement Win For Us -Tunisia Forward, Tounekti
Tunisia forward Sebastian Tounekti has said beating Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be a statement win for them.
Speaking to journalists before Tunisia’s training on Friday Tounekti, who is a teammate with Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho, said:”I think they have a lot of quality players in their squad and when you look at their wingers you look at Lookman who has been brilliant for his national team and Atalanta.
“Expectations going into this game is really good, we are looking forward to a big game against a big nation. We know that we are going to meet a team that is really good and with players that play at the highest level.
Also Read: AFCON 2025: Super Eagles Will Pick Maximum Three Points Vs Tunisia –Ex International
“This is a game between two nations who are really good and if you look at our team I think we’ve been doing well for a while now, so for us we have to focus for what will be a hard game.
“I think Nigeria are one of the team that can win the tournament and for us if we win we will make a statement that we are here to compete.”
By James Agberebi in Fes, Morocco
Benin Republic defeated Botswana 1-0 to record their first win at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations,reports Completesports.com.
The Cheetahs scored the winning goal through Yohan Roche in the 28th minute with captain Steve Mounie providing the assist.
Mounie teed up Roche with a clever pass, and the defender made no mistake, firing past the Botswana goalkeeper from inside the box.
Read Also:AFCON 2025: Tunisians, Moroccans Predict Super Eagles Vs Carthage Eagles
Benin totally dominated the game, but failed to score more goals due to their poor marksmanship.
Gernot Rohr’s side, who narrowly lost 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in their first game will now face former champions Senegal next week Tuesday.
Botswana, who struggled to create any meaningful chance in the game now face an early elimination following their second defeat of the competition.
The Mares will be up against DR Congo in their last group game.
Former Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Kenneth Omeruo has urged the Super Eagles to keep their feet on the ground ahead of tonight’s crucial Group C clash against Tunisia at the ongoing 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Nigeria and Tunisia will renew their rivalry at the 40,000-capacity Fez Stadium at 9 p.m. tonight in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the group stage.
Both sides made winning starts to their campaigns and know that another victory will secure early qualification for the round of 16.
The Super Eagles opened their tournament with a 2-1 win over Tanzania, with goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman sealing the points. Tunisia, on their part, looked sharp as they brushed aside Uganda 3-1 to underline their intent.
Despite the positive start, Omeruo, a key member of Nigeria’s title-winning team in 2013, has warned that the Carthage Eagles present a very different test.
“It’s an important game. If we win, we go into the next round, but we have to be careful because Tunisia are more technical than our last opponents,” Omeruo told Punch.
“We will always play to win, but I don’t expect anything short of good football as well.”
Omeruo, 31, understands the demands of the Africa Cup of Nations better than most. He was part of the historic Super Eagles squad coached by the late Stephen Keshi that lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2013.
During that memorable run, Omeruo formed a solid defensive unit alongside Elderson Echiéjilé, Joseph Yobo and Godfrey Oboabona, helping Nigeria shut out opponents at key moments on the road to glory.
The Super Eagles can book their place in the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a win against Tunisia on Saturday.
Nigeria began their tournament with a 2-1 win over Tanzania.
Another three points against the Carthage Eagles will see them progress into the next round.
But, here’s the thing: Tunisia wants the exact same thing.
The North Africans thrashed Uganda 3-0 in their opening fixture and are currently top of the group.
That means Eric Chelle’s men have to step it up against a team that is one of the favourites to win the AFCON.
“I think Nigeria played well enough to defeat Tanzania,” Ope Adebari, a sports analyst, reporter and producer with News Central, tells DAILY POST.
“Alex Iwobi was the most impressive. His impact on the game was felt from the start till the end of the game.
“I think Chukwueze and Sanusi need to step up their individual performances.”
A lot has also been said about Chelle’s tactical set-up and how he deploys his players.
“I think Chelle should just use the right players in the right positions,” Adebari pointed out.
“He seems to always misprofile players.”
The Super Eagles have won three of their last 10 meetings with Tunisia, including memorable victories at the AFCON 2000 and AFCON 2006.
However, Tunisia sent Nigeria packing in the Round of 16 at AFCON 2021, winning 1–0 in Garoua.
That defeat was a timely reminder that they can frustrate and punish even the most talented sides.
Over the last ten meetings between both sides, Tunisia emerged victorious thrice, with the remaining four fixtures ending all square.
Players Nigeria need to be wary of?
“Talbi, Mejbri, Achouri, Mastouri and Skhiri are players that can hurt the Super Eagles,” Adebari added.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has debunked rumours it has sanctioned free entry for fans into stadia at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The competition has been marred by low turnout of fans across the different centres.
The home fans have only turned out in large numbers to watch the Atlas Lions.
Read Also:AFCON 2025: My Grandfather Cinvinced Me To Play For Algeria –Zidane
There were reports that CAF in conjunction with the Local Organsing Committee,LOC, have ordered free entry for fans due to low turn out at different stadia.
CAF encouraged fans to continue buying tickets through official channels.
“Reports of free entry are completely false. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets through official channels to attend the matches,” the statement read.
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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City – Premier League LIVE: Latest score, team news and updates as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to leapfrog rivals Arsenal at the top of the table with Rodri named on subs’ bench after injury setback
Follow Daily Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Nottingham Forest welcome Manchester City to the City Ground in the Premier League, with Jack Gaughan and Tom Collomosse reporting from the grounds.
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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City – Premier League LIVE: Latest score, team news and updates as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to leapfrog rivals Arsenal at the top of the table with Rodri named on subs’ bench after injury setback
The stage is set for the biggest English Premier League, EPL, match of this weekend as Chelsea hosts Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
The match will take place on Saturday evening and the kick-off time is 6.30 pm, Nigerian time.
Both teams head to the game after their last Premier League games against Newcastle United and Manchester United, respectively.
Chelsea played a 2-2 draw with Newcastle, while Aston Villa defeated Man United 2-1.
Aston Villa have won three of their five Premier League games against the Blues under manager Unai Emery (one draw, one defeat).
Emery’s side are in third position on the Premier League table with 7 points ahead of fourth-position Chelsea after 17 games.
The West Midlands side will hope to beat Chelsea to keep their Premier League title hopes alive as they are just one point behind second-position Manchester City and three points behind leaders Arsenal.
For Chelsea, they will endeavour to dent Villa’s title race as they are technically out of the challenge, hoping to fight for a top-four finish.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca could be without Estêvão against the visitors after the Brazilian winger missed their matches against Cardiff City and Newcastle.
Similarly, the likes of Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo and Roméo Lavia are out for the encounter at Stamford Bridge, although Maresca suggested during the pre-match press conference that striker Liam Delap would make his comeback against Aston Villa.
For Aston Villa, Jadon Sancho will be available to face his former loan team, Chelsea, while fellow loanee Harvey Elliott is struggling with illness, and he is unlikely to feature.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will be without Evann Guessand after the Ivorian was given a late call-up to the Ivory Coast national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Morocco.
Also, former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley will not play for Emery’s side due to injury.
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Imran Khan’s squalid life inside Pakistani jail where cricket legend who once united the nation is languishing – as ex-wife urges Elon Musk to help imprisoned politician
Imran Khan, one of Pakistan’s greatest-ever cricketers, is incarcerated in a ‘death cell’ in the nation to which he brought so much joy.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1983. Captain of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning side. Away from the pitch, a playboy turned puritan and, eventually, a controversial Prime Minister.
Now 73, Khan is in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in a windowless cell with extreme temperatures, poor ventilation, vile odours, and insect infestations, according to a United Nations report. His sons fear they may never see him again.
How can this level of neglect befall one of the late-20th Century’s most iconic sporting stars? Why? For how long? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? These are all questions which his loved ones and supporters are asking – if, indeed, they dare to stick their heads above the parapet.
‘Taliban Khan’, as he is known to detractors, was first detained in August 2023 and in January this year he was sentenced to 14 years in prison over alleged corruption. More than 200 cases have been brought against him since he was ousted from power in 2022. To many it is no surprise; Pakistan has a history of jailing, and even executing, its former political leaders.
There was even speculation that he is already dead – that is, until his sister, Uzma Khanum, was granted a rare visit recently and shed light on his condition.
Pakistani cricket icon and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, 73, is jailed in squalid conditions
This image of Khan’s jail cell was shared on social media by his political party in Pakistan
Khan seen celebrating after captaining Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia
‘He’s physically well. However, he said that they are subjecting him to mental torture, and that Asim Munir [Pakistan’s chief of army staff] is responsible for all of this,’ she said.
‘He’s kept inside all the time, and only goes out for a short while. There’s no contact with anybody.’
Other accounts indicate worse health. One medical report seen by The Telegraph indicated that he was suffering from hearing loss and vertigo.
Earlier this year, Khan himself complained on X: ‘I am enduring the harshest prison term in the country’s history.
‘The level of oppression and authoritarianism is such that even the water I have for ablution is filthy and contaminated with dirt, unfit for any human being.
‘I have spent countless hours re-reading the same old books, but now even those are no longer available.
‘Despite repeated requests, I have not been allowed to speak to my children. Political meetings have also been restricted; I am only permitted to meet certain “choice individuals”, while all other interactions are barred.’
Khan is held in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. It’s a Category A, high-security facility housing terrorists, crime chiefs, dangerous offenders, and political prisoners. Phones are banned.
Khan seen with his two sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, who fear they may never see him again
Supporters of Khan have protested for his immediate release; some have been arrested for it
His ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, has called on Elon Musk to stop suppressing posts about him
The conditions, by many accounts, are atrocious.
One inmate told Dawn: ‘The meat reeks of diesel rather than cooking oil. Drinking water is supplied through bore wells which makes the inmates susceptible to numerous diseases.’
Speaking to The Independent, Khan’s son Kasim said: ‘The conditions my father is kept in are extremely harsh. He is confined to what is effectively a death cell, with poor hygiene and no proper facilities.
‘For almost a year now, he has not been allowed to see his personal doctor.’
A spokesperson for Pakistan’s current Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, told Sky news that Khan is a national security threat and that he has used meetings with people as an outlet to rally support.
The barrage of legal action against Khan is complex. As aforementioned, he was sentenced to 14 years behind bars for corruption.
That came after he and his wife Bushra Bibi, a faith healer and politician, were accused of receiving land as a bribe, given through the Al-Qadir Trust, from real estate tycoon Malik Riaz.
Khan is said to have let Riaz pay £190million worth of court fines using laundered money. That cash was returned to the Pakistani government by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2022.
The Lion of Lahore reinvented his image from a London partyboy to a pro-Islamic politician
Khan is seen meeting Princess Diana with his former wife Jemima in Lahore in 1996
Both Khan and Bibi deny wrongdoing. Their argument is that they made no personal gain and that the charitable Al-Qadir University was built on the donated land.
In their eyes, their incarceration is nothing other than politically motivated. Other convictions against him have been overturned. Last year, he was acquitted of leaking state secrets – something he had previously been given a 10-year prison sentence for.
But there are other convictions against them. He and Bibi are both also imprisoned for seven years after it was ruled that their marriage in 2018 was un-Islamic and illegal – it came too soon after her previous one.
Khan is one of Pakistan’s most divisive figures. For some he is an anti-establishment hero. To others, corrupt and overly sympathetic to the Taliban. In 2022 he became the first-ever Prime Minister in his country’s history to be axed with a no-confidence vote.
His sons Sulaiman and Kasim, from his first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, have been lobbying on his behalf but accept that their father does not want to compromise on his principles.
‘I genuinely think he would be depressed if he came to London,’ Kasim told The Telegraph. ‘It would be gnawing away at him that the country was in a shambles and run by these crooks, and I don’t think he’d be able to lead a happy life. What keeps him going, keeps him alive, is fighting against that.’
Directly opposing his arrest in Pakistan could bring nasty consequences for themselves and deprive him of a mouthpiece to the outside world. And there is little prospect of official support from the United States, where there is some vocal backing for his release.
‘The army chief and [Donald] Trump have, unfortunately, got quite a good relationship at the moment. Pakistan’s government has said that it will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize,’ Sulaiman said.
Party supporters of Imran Khan pictured gathering outside Adiala prison in November
A woman holds a photo of Khan outside his prison as protestors demand that he is allowed to be visited by his family
And according to his former wife Goldsmith, a journalist and aristocrat, Trump’s ally Elon Musk is suppressing posts about Khan on X.
She quoted an interaction she had had with Grok – X’s AI chatbot – which, according to her, read: ‘Every time you post anything about Imran’s jail conditions, solitary confinement or your son’s access to their father, the algorithm limits the post.
‘The Pakistani authorities have made criticism from Imran Khan’s immediate circle one of their top online enforcement priorities, and X is quietly complying just enough to keep the platform alive in the country.’
Goldsmith claimed that Grok had found evidence of ‘secret throttling’ on her account and called on Musk to consider his commitment to free speech.
Otherwise, there is little way for her to get the word out about Khan – his name and image, for example, are banned on Pakistani TV and radio.
But he still has plenty of support from inside Pakistan. Obviously, there is no way to independently establish Khan’s level of guilt in relation to the allegations against him, but people don’t forget their heroes.
In August, 240 protestors were arrested after they called for Khan’s release on the second anniversary of his jailing.
At least 122 were arrested trying to block roads and threatening law and order in the city of Lahore.
Khan’s sons say that Donald Trump’s ties with the Pakistani regime means there is little chance of official support from the United States
Khan says he has been offered a way out of prison. In a post on X, he claimed he had been offered a three-year exile while he was in the Attock Jail in Punjab, but he refused. He had been given the chance to go to his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad. Another route is exile in London.
‘I will live and die in Pakistan,’ he wrote.
‘My stance is clear: release my detained workers and leaders first. Only then will I consider discussing my personal situation.’
Indeed, 108 of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were sentenced to prison in May.
The Lion of Lahore, as he was once known, has already proven adept at reinventing himself; from having flings with women in London’s nightclubs to becoming a pro-Islamic, anti-West politician. He is also, clearly, stubborn in the face of adversary.
What the future holds is unclear but one thing is certain: where he once united a nation, his fate will continue to divide it.
Super Eagles forwards Paul Onuachu and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have stressed that Nigeria have both the motivation and the quality to secure another vital result in Fès on Saturday’s decisive Group C encounter with Tunisia.
Naija News reports that the Super Eagles face Tunisia at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in what is shaping up to be one of the standout fixtures of the group stage. Both teams sit on three points following opening-day victories, leaving the winner in pole position to finish top of the group.
Onuachu, who has enjoyed an impressive season with Trabzonspor, believes the Super Eagles are well-equipped to push deep into the tournament, provided they stay focused on the task immediately ahead.
“Nigeria is a big country, of course, Tunisia is also a football nation, but we have good players and a good squad to really take it to the next level,” Onuachu said.
“I think there are lots of strong teams. Coming here, we have it in the back of our mind that we are going to win the AFCON, but we have to take one game as it comes.”
The former Genk striker was introduced from the bench in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Tanzania in their opening match. He is now hoping to have a greater impact as the Super Eagles aim to book their place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Dele-Bashiru echoed that sense of determination, pointing out that simply competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is enough to keep the squad fully switched on. The Lazio midfielder also came on as a substitute in the opener and underlined the importance of the Tunisia fixture.
“I think just being in the AFCON is enough motivation for us to go and try and get the victory tomorrow,” Dele-Bashiru told reporters.
“Of course, it’s an important match for us if we want to finish top of the group, and so we will do everything we can to get the job done.”
A win on Saturday would guarantee automatic qualification to the knockout phase for either side and secure first place in Group C ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Kick-off is set for 9pm Nigerian time.
Abakaliki FC chairman Senator Obinna Ogba, urged his players to keep morale high as the club pushes for promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League this season.
Ogba, who visited the team ahead of its next league match, said the squad’s target is “nothing less than a proceed to NPFL.
He praised the players for their performance on the first half of the Nigeria National League, NNL.
Abakaliki FC sits third in Conference with 12 points.
“I want to commend you all for your performance so far in the league and I equally enjoined you all to keep the morale high because we are not settling for anything other than a proceed to NPFL,” Ogba told the team.
Abakaliki FC finished as runners‑up in the President Federation Cup last season and now eyes a promotion spot.
The club’s next game is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, against First Bank FC at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium.
The match will be a key test as Abakaliki FC looks to maintain its push for the top two places that guarantee promotion playoff.
Days 8 (Thursday, 25 December, 2025)
NSF.com – A Platform Born Out Of Passion
NAIJASUPERFANS.com (NSF.com) is one of the digital platforms that we launched at Complete Communications Limited in 2018 ahead of the termination of the print version of Complete Sports newspaper in 2022.
Building A Vision For Naija Sports Fans
Like Complete Football Extra, NSF.com is ‘my baby’ in the sense that I conceptualized it from scratch. But I am also the first to admit that the platform has suffered a topsy turvy existence and is yet to fulfill my vision as a hub for “Naija sports fans” as it’s name suggests. But I’m not giving up on it.
A Christmas Day Nudge From The Newsroom
Ayomide Matthew is my assistant editor on NSF.com. He has been uploading my AFCON Daily Dairy on the website since the start of the tournament (in addition to CompleteSports.com). When Ayo didn’t see my installment for Christmas Day, Thursday, 25 December, he sent a message to request for it. “OK,” I responded. “So, you don’t want me to rest at all? Now I know the type of ‘friend’ that you are.”
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 7: Inside Super Eagles’ Moroccan Kitchen, Jollof Rice & ‘Third World War’ Joke
“I’m sorry, sir; sorry sir,” he quickly replied. “You can take a rest then. Enjoy your day, sir (Lol),” he concluded. So, I went on to ‘enjoy’ my day by engaging in a marathon sleep. I woke up on Friday morning, feeling refreshed.
Yours truly at Complexe Sportif de Fez before the Christmas day break at AFCON 2025
A Well-Deserved AFCON Rest Day In Morocco
For all the readers that missed my diary of December 25, there goes the explanation for my absence. Luckily, it was also a rest day at the AFCON here in Morocco, so we didn’t miss any action. The only downside of the day for me was the sad news from Nigeria that a suicide bomber killed five people and injured 35 others in a mosque in Maiduguri. Why?
Mourning Tragedy Amid Festive Reflections
Honestly, I can’t stop wondering about exactly what these murderers want to achieve with their mass killings. But I am positive that, no matter how long it takes, their evil ideology will be defeated and good will trump evil in the end. My condolences go to the families of the dead and to those who suffered injuries in the senseless attack.
Signing Off With Christmas Wishes And Tunisia In View
So much for my diary for Thursday, 25 December, 2025. Merry Christmas to my readers in arrears. See you tomorrow, Friday, to preview Nigeria’s next game against Tunisia on Saturday….
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) served up a night of tension and fine margins on Friday, December 26, with penalties, VAR calls and late saves defining a series of crucial group matches across Morocco.
At the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, hosts Morocco were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali in a contest dominated by spot kicks and officiating reviews.
The breakthrough arrived deep into first-half stoppage time when Brahim Diaz stepped up to convert from 12 yards after a VAR check confirmed a handball by Mali defender Nathan Gassama.
Mali refused to be rattled and earned their own penalty shortly after the hour. Lassine Sinayoko was brought down in the area by Jawad El Yamiq, and despite a wall of whistles from the stands, he calmly rolled his effort under goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to restore parity.
The closing stages belonged to Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, who produced a sharp save with his legs to deny Youssef En-Nesyri and later reacted quickly to prevent an own goal in stoppage time. The draw keeps Morocco top of Group A on four points, with Mali and Zambia on two, while Comoros remain bottom on one point.
Earlier in the AFCON 2025 group campaign on Friday, Comoros and Zambia played out a goalless draw that left both sides with plenty to ponder. Comoros thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Myziane Maolida tapped into an empty net following fine wing play from Rafiki Said.
However, VAR intervened and referee Ahmad Imtehaz Heeralall ruled the goal out after spotting a foul in the build-up by Yacine Bourhane.
Comoros went closest again late on when Faiz Selemani headed onto the roof of the net with Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza caught out of position. The result leaves Zambia knowing they likely need a win against Morocco in Rabat, while Comoros face Mali in Casablanca on Monday.
In Group B, Egypt sealed their place in the knockout rounds with a gritty 1-0 win over South Africa, despite finishing the match with ten men. Captain Mohamed Salah once again delivered when it mattered, scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time after VAR confirmed a foul by Khuliso Mudau.
Moments later, Egypt were reduced to ten when Mohamed Hany received a second yellow card for stepping on Teboho Mokoena. South Africa pressed hard in the second half and came agonisingly close late on, but goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy produced a crucial stoppage-time save to preserve the lead.
Egypt now sit top of Group B, with South Africa second on three points. Angola and Zimbabwe remain in the hunt after sharing a 1-1 draw in Marrakech.
Angola struck first through Gelson Dala, who finished clinically in the 24th minute. Zimbabwe responded with resilience and were rewarded just before the break when experienced striker Knowledge Musona pounced from close range in added time.
The second half was fiercely contested, with both sides trading chances and yellow cards as neither could find a winner. The draw gives both teams their first point of the tournament and leaves Group B finely balanced heading into the final round of fixtures at the 2025 AFCON.
Nigeria midfielder, Raphael Onyedika has given his consent to a big money move to Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray, DAILY POST reports.
Galatasaray have been courting the Club Brugge star for the past two years.
The Yellow and Reds came close to signing Onyedika last summer but Club Brugge blocked the move.
The 24-year-old has now told Galatasaray he is open to joining them in January if they can reach agreement with Club Brugge, according to reports emanating from Turkey.
Club Brugge are expected to demand around €25m for the defensive midfielder.
Galatasaray however value Onyedika around €15m.
Okan Buruk’s side have also been linked with another Nigerian star, Ademola Lookman.
Former Nigerian international Ahmed Garba says he’s optimistic the Super Eagles will pick up the maximum three points against Tunisia in tonight’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group C clash.
Recall that a win for either side will seal qualification to the round of 16 of the tournament, having won their respective opening games against Tanzania and Uganda.
In a chat with Footy Africa, Garba stated that he expects the Super Eagles to step up their game against the Carthage Eagles.
Read Also:AFCON 2025: Tunisia Ready For ‘Strong Opponent’ Super Eagles — Trabelsi
“Against Tunisia, the boys have to be brave and take the game to them. I remember our last meeting with Tunisia at the AFCON in Cameroon, where we won all our group games but ended up losing to them. That red card to Alex Iwobi was painful and played a big role in our defeat, even though I felt we were the better team on the day
“I reckon the boys, especially those who were in Cameroon, will be fired up and seeking some form of revenge. I am sure it will be on their minds.
“I believe we will see a better performance against Tunisia, and the boys will take the three points and go top of the group.”
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ASHES BREAKFAST: Australia collapses again to leave England sniffing a rare win on day two of fourth Ashes Test, Gus Atkinson limps off – and why Cameron Green is in the firing line
Australia’s second batting collapse of the match left England needing 175 to pull off their first win in this country since January 2011, since when their record has been 16 defeats out of 18.
Having folded for 152 on the first day, Australia staggered to 132 on the second, which meant they had been dismissed twice in 79.5 overs, their worst effort in a Test match since 1928-19, when they lasted 76.1 against England at Brisbane.
There were four wickets for Brydon Carse and three for Ben Stokes, who helped make up for a hamstring injury to Gus Atkinson, of which more below.
Still life in Bazball yet…?
England’s chase was given a raucous start by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who brought up the 50 stand in just 6.5 overs, with Crawley lofting Michael Neser down the ground for six, and Duckett reverse-scooping him for six more.
Duckett’s fun ended on 34, when he was yorked by Mitchell Starc, before England sent in Carse to have a heave-ho at No 3. He made only six before top-edging a hoick off Jhye Richardson to Cameron Green at third man, before Crawley and Jacob Bethell took a significant chunk off the target, adding 47 before Crawley was trapped lbw by Boland for 37.
England’s chase was given a raucous start by Zak Crawley (pictured) and Ben Duckett, who brought up the 50 stand in just 6.5 overs
Pundits pitch in
It was hard, perhaps impossible, to find an ex-pro at the MCG with anything nice to say about the pitch served up by curator Matt Page. After 20 wickets on the first day, another 12 had fallen by tea on the second, with Michael Vaughan slamming the conditions on X.
‘This pitch is a joke,’ he tweeted at lunch. ‘This is selling the game short. The players, broadcasters and more importantly the fans. 26 wickets in 98 overs!!!!!’ Later, Kevin Pietersen tweeted: ‘Utter shambles and complete disrespect to the greatest form of the game!’
Short but not very sweet!
Spare a thought for the fans who opted to have Christmas at home before flying in from the UK for the third day of this game. After all, before this series, there had been only two two-day finishes in Australia, in 1930-31 and 2022-23.
Now, we’ve had two in four matches. James, a listener to Test Match Special, spoke on behalf of thousands of fans when he complained: ‘On a flight to Melbourne from the UK with day three tickets. I can’t believe it will probably be all over by then!’
All bowled out
One by one, England’s fast bowlers – who arrived in Australia to such fanfare – have fallen by the wayside. First it was Mark Wood, who as ruled out of the series after hurting his left knee at Perth. Then Jofra Archer strained his left side after bowling heroically at Adelaide.
Now Gus Atkinson leaves the field on the second day in Melbourne, which will probably mean a first Ashes Test for Matthew Potts at Sydney. Who knows, even Matthew Fisher, plucked from the England Lions squad as Wood’s replacement, may enter the mix.
Gus Atkinson clutches his leg before leaving the field on day two of the Melbourne Test
Green draws Aussie ire
Impatience is growing with Cameron Green following his latest batting failure in a series in which he now averages 18 with the bat and 52 with the ball. After carving Ben Stokes to Harry Brook at second slip for 19, he incurred the commentary-box wrath of former Australia opener Simon Katich, who fumed: ‘It’s pre-determined rubbish.
Watch the ball and play it instinctively off the track.’ Green recently fetched £2m at the IPL auction, but his red-ball stock has fallen over the past few weeks.
England fail to take advantage
If England had been told in advance that one of Australia’s openers would be averaging 20 after four Tests, and their No 3 would be averaging below 25, they’d have danced for joy.
Between them, Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne have now passed 50 three times in 16 innings, with Weatherald’s only innings of note – 72 at Brisbane – coming when England fed his cut shot. The trouble is, almost all the tourists’ batsmen have fared as badly, cancelling out any potential benefit.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will play Tunisia on Saturday in their second match of the group stage in the 2025 AFCON ongoing in Morocco.
Super Eagles forward, Paul Onuachu has predicted the outcome of the game.
Nigeria will be in control of Group C and will move on to the next round if they win against Tunisia.
Nigeria and Tunisia each won their first matches in the tournament, defeating Tanzania and Uganda with scores of 2-1 and 3-1, respectively.
Before playing against the tough Tunisian team, the tallest player from Nigeria, Onuachu, predicted a win for his team.
Onuachu, who plays for the Turkish team, Trabzonspor, said the Super Eagles are in Morocco to win the competition
“I think we have strong players and a good team that can really push forward to the next level,” Onuachu told reporters before the game against the North African team.
“Even before arriving here, we always think about winning the AFCON.”
Eric Chelle of Nigeria is planning to use his strongest players in the match against Tunisia.