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The biggest shock of the Africa Cup of Nations was when Equatorial Guinea defeated Ivory Coast 4-0 in a first-round match in 2024.

Some of the biggest upsets in competition history are highlighted by AFP Sport.

Equatorial Guinea 4 Equatorial Guinea 0 Ivory Coast

In the final moments of a stunning group victory over the hosts, Equatorial Guinea scored three times. The Ivorians, however, advanced to the knockout stages and advanced to the final against Nigeria. Equatorial Guinea made their exit in the last 16.

Ghana 2 Ghana 3 Comoros 3

After Ahmed Mogni scored an 85th-minute winner in a seesaw struggle in Cameroon, four-time champions Ghana humiliated themselves with a first-round exit in 2022. Andre Ayew, a veteran captain and midfielder, was given a bad rap for his actions against the Ghanaian cause.

Morocco 1 Benin 1

After defeating Ivory Coast and South Africa in the first round, Morocco was regarded as one of Egypt’s favorites for the 2019 title. However, a team led by France’s Herve Renard, a two-time AFCON champion, had to come from behind to win the final 16. The team then lost 4-1 on penalties in the final 16.

Ivory Coast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In the 2012 final in Gabon, Zambia defeated rivals Yaya and Kolo, didier Drogba, and the Toure brothers, who were outsiders. With Stophira Sunzu scoring the winning spot kick, Drogba missed a penalty and the game ended in a shootout.

Tunisia 0 Mali 2

Then, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stormed out of the stadium at half-time because he was so upset with Tunisia’s top-rated 1994 hosts’ opening performance. He had watched Mali take control of the two-goal lead, which they kept.

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Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda have drawn the Nigerian team in Group C. On December 23, they will face Tunisian’s Carthage Eagles in their first AFCON match, which will be played on December 23.

In their contentious Netflix-backed fight on Friday in Miami, former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

The gap in physical size and class between Britain’s two-time world champions Joshua and Paul, an internet personality who has forged a lucrative career through a few novelty boxing contests, had sparked outrage in boxing following the fight at the Kaseya Center, where both men reportedly split a $ 184 million purse.

However, Joshua persevered in the end to defeat his far less accomplished opponent, before his superior size and power eventually paid off in the eight-round fight with a sixth-round knockout.

Paul kept pounding on Joshua’s legs and repeatedly dropping the canvas in a lackluster contest before becoming a farce.

Even referee Christopher Young once gave the impression that the fighters in the fourth round were losing patience: “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”

The 6′ 6″ (1.85m) tall Joshua started pounding more frequently as Paul grew tired, and after knocking down the 6′ 1″ American twice in the fifth round, the victory was swift.

After teeing up Paul with a crunching left, Joshua backed the 28-year-old into a corner and delivered the decisive blow with a right to the chin that sent his opponent flying to the canvas.

Afterward, Joshua, 36, admitted, “It wasn’t the best performance.” However, Jake Paul was ultimately meant to be harmed, pin him down, and hurt.

That was the question that came to mind, I thought. The right hand eventually arrived at its destination after a little longer than expected.

Praise for Paul

Paul was praised for staying put into the later rounds by Joshua, who was also critical of him.

Joshua said, “I want to give him my props because he repeatedly got up,” He had a difficult time finding a way there, but he kept trying. A real man is required to accomplish that.

While Paul was claiming that despite Joshua’s final assault having broken his jaw, he was satisfied with his performance.

That was enjoyable. “Paul said, “I gave it my all.” I had a blast. By the way, I believe my jaw has broken. However, Anthony is one of the best at it, so. I’m going to win a world championship when I return.

I just got tired, to be honest, because it was carrying so much weight. I believe I could have maintained it and kept fighting with better cardio. But he really hits hard.

Also Read: Promises Unity Names Wilfred Ndidi as Super Eagles Captain

The made-for-streaming fight on Friday, which took place just over a year after Paul had previously fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a much-debated Netflix fight, had been widely dissented throughout boxing, with many warnings that Paul was likely to suffer a serious injury.

However, Paul struggled to stay within Joshua’s bounds as he battled to avoid the devastating first or second round knockout that most had anticipated failed.

Joshua always appeared to be the more dangerous fighter, landing 48 of the 146 punches thrown, compared to Paul’s pathetic total of 16 landed. This was when Joshua was fighting for the first time in 15 months.

The Briton will now be looking forward to a money-making fight with compatriot Tyson Fury, who was formerly the world champion, next year.

“We wiped away the cobwebs,” Joshua said, “and I can’t wait to start 2026.” Let’s put on some gloves and fight if Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is.

Wilfred Ndidi, one of Africa’s most prosperous sides, has been appointed as the new captain of the Super Eagles.

A message on the Super Eagles’ website read, “Wilfred Ndidi has been named captain of the Super Eagles and says that responsibility means everything as Nigeria travels to Morocco.”

The three-time African champions will take the helm of Ndidi’s first assignment as they prepare to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The player is rallying his teammates to victory in the Maghreb because he understands that unity is essential to that goal.

The former Leicester City player told the Super Eagles media team, “It’s a huge responsibility, and I think everything will go smoothly with the help of the players.”

“I’ve had a conversation with a few players, mostly older players,” I said. Just try to explain the purpose of our presence to them, you know. Additionally, [you] require staff assistance. We’re all connected, Ndidi said.

Read more about the 2025 World Cup woes in Nigerian sports: &nbsp, Falcons’ Record, D’Tigress’ dominance, and more.

As Nigeria heads to Morocco, Wilfred Ndidi has been named as the Super Eagles’ captain, saying that responsibility is paramount. #AFCON2025 #Naija4TheWin pic. twitter.com/S0jkgjPH5q

The appointment of the player came after Ahmed Musa and William Troost-Ekong, the team’s stand-in captain, retired.

Although Troost-Ekong’s retirement from the national team came as a surprise to many fans in the nation, despite Musa having not featured for Nigeria for several months and being an unreliable substitute in the 2023 AFCON.

Before the final list of players was released, the defender was named in the Super Eagles’ preliminary squad for the 2025 edition of the continental showpiece. However, he was given a chance to finish his Nigerian career.

As he reflects on his six years as manager, Mike Arteta believes his transformation has helped the Gunners win significant trophies.

Arsenal will be top of the Premier League at Christmas with a victory at Everton on Saturday, which Arteta’s former club had hoped would be their first since 2003/04.

Only major trophy has Arteta brought back Arsenal as Premier League title contenders and Champions League regulars despite winning FA Cup matches in the early stages of his reign.

They finished second in each of their previous three seasons, but they failed to finish in the top four of the Premier League for six straight years between 2017 and 2022.

Even though we haven’t yet won any significant trophies, Arteta said on Friday, “The transformation has been around the club in terms of the size, in terms of revenues, in terms of the squad we built, in terms of the value of it, in terms of the sporting success.”

“We’re in the right place because it’s very, very consistent,” he said.

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At the top of the table, Arsenal leads Manchester City by two points, but the gap has narrowed in recent weeks, with draws at Sunderland and Chelsea and just one more defeat coming at Aston Villa.

Six games are played between December 20 and January 8 for Arteta’s men during the festive season.

The 43-year-old has a list of Christmas wishes that he has in mind.

He said, “Win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win every game.”

“I’ll say the rest will come naturally, but if we win, I’ll have much better mood and energy,” she said.

Ruben Amorim thinks Manchester United can win the Premier League sooner than Alex Ferguson’s prediction of 10 or 11 years.

Since the Scots bowed out as a champion in 2013, the Red Devils have lost 20 of their 20 English league titles.

Ferguson recently claimed that United are “now in the same situation” as Liverpool were when they spent 30 years without winning the title.

The Premier League trophy may not be returned to Old Trafford until the club great says it could take “10, 11 years,” but Amorim is confident that it will not be that long.

The current United boss told reporters on Friday, “He understands football more than I do, especially English football.”

“I believe it won’t take long for us to win a league,” she said. And I’m not sure what manager will show up.

“But I firmly believe that we will be able to contend for the title in the upcoming (fifew) years. And I believe it won’t require a lot of time.

Following a sluggish season so far, United are sixth in the Premier League table heading into Sunday’s game against third-placed Aston Villa.

At his pre-game press conference, Amorim was also asked what he thought of Bruno Fernandes’ comments to Portuguese media, in which the club captain claimed United wanted to sell him in the summer transfer window.

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Fernandes claimed that Amorim’s plans, which had persuaded him to stay at Old Trafford, still had him in them, but that the club’s hierarchy’s stance had hurt him.

Amorim claimed that Amorim’s Portuguese counterpart, who signed for United in 2020, “said what he was feeling.”

The United boss said, “Of course, we can avoid these things because we already know the noise,” but he spoke with the board and “I think everything is crystal clear.”

Fernandes also suggested that not everyone stood up for United the way he does.

Amorim remarked, “I don’t know if it’s fair. He only discussed his emotions. He must respond to that, not me.

He serves as an example of how to give everything, I believe. In every training session and match, he places everything on the line. He’s unique in that area.