Super crowd pleasers those Super Eagles. Nigeria restored the neutrals' faith with gore and disorder as they brilliantly chopped through Tunisia's defences to lead 3-0 and then conceded two goals to nearly self-terminate with extreme prejudice.
Chelle in shock
Nigeria boss often appears a wistful, distant figure during press conferences. In the right company - The Review's - he's rather dry and charming. Attracted by the bright red RFI logo on the microphone, Chelle, before boarding a bus to take him away from the Brilliance and Horror of Fez, stopped and spoke for a couple of minutes about the vicissitudes of the coaching life and even took to teasing when asked about seeking the positives from Tunisia's late comeback. "So it's like that is it?" he smiled. "You have your answer ... you ask me some questions and you have your answers?" Warming to his jibe, he added: "Like you said, it is positive because if every time we're the best team on the pitch, we won't do the work. So Tunisia's return gives me some something to work with and gives the squad something to improve on so that I and my players stay motivated."
So come on, come on, do the motivation with me
Dodgy musical allusion? And why not? It's still the Christmas season. Along with the Nigerians, Tunisia's squad will be dancing to the rhythm of truth following their 75-minute nightmare during their second Group C game. "Right from the start, we let Nigeria play," rued Tunisia defender Dylan Bronn. "We watched them. We had everything we needed to disrupt this team. We should have taken control much earlier." When they did rebel, the Tunisians showed neat construction and style. "We learn from every match," added the 30-year-old who plays for Servette in the Swiss top flight. "That’s why we’re always trying to improve. This match will help us progress. The tournament is long."
Learning curve
But maybe not. Following the defeat to Nigeria, the stakes will be high for the Tunisians in their final game in Group C against Tanzania on Day 9. Tanzania and Uganda played out a 1-1 draw on Day 6 to add a bit of edge to the ties. If the East Africans were to win their matches, Tunisia would end up bottom of the pile. "We've got really good players," said Tunisia defender Yan Valery. "It is now up to us to show that in the next match."
Nuts about the boy
And finally it's happened. Their fifth appearance at Africa's most prestigious national team football tournament and Benin have won a game in the group stages. When the Cup of Nations was conceived back in 1957, Benin was known as Dahomey. In their first outing at the tournament in 2004, Benin lost all three matches. It was the same scenario in 2008. But at the 2010 Cup of Nations, they drew against Mozambique to gain their first point. And in the fourth showing in 2019 at the competition which had been expanded to 24 teams, they drew all three games in the group stages to advance as one of the four best third-placed teams. There they dispatched Morocco in the last-16. Senegal ended the adventure in the last eight. So step forward Yohan Roche. At fault for the goal which gave the Democratic Republic of Congo their 1-0 win the opening Group D match, the 28-year-old atoned with the strike against Botswana that furnished The Squirrels - as they are so charmingly nicknamed - with their first success.
All action crunch
It was tough and rugged in the match between Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Tangier. The sides met twice during the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Senegal took four of the six points on offer in the games in June 2024 and September 2025 on the way to claiming the qualifying group and a place at the World Cup. And the DRC could not get past the Senegalese at the third time of asking. It ended 1-1 in Tangier on Day 6 to leave Senegal and DRC on four points. Benin, who take on Senegal in the final game in Group D, are, thanks to that success over Botswana, in the thick of the action for a place in the next phase.
