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Hello for the busy night of Football League and continental football action. Our focus includes key second-tier encounters and the pivotal last group games in the Africa Cup of Nations competition.

Opening Notes

Greetings to all. Welcome to the checks writing desk rota this penultimate football live blog of 2025. There’s a full EFL programme, kicking off with Coventry v Ipswich at 6pm, and we will also monitor at least a third of an eye on both night games from the first group at this Afcon: Zambia against the hosts Morocco as well as Comoros v Mali.

Our primary attention will be on the following matches, all 19:45 kick-offs except where noted.

Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures

• The Coelacanths v Mali (7pm)
• The Copper Bullets v The Atlas Lions (19:00)

Championship

• The Sky Blues versus Ipswich (18:00)
• The Foxes v Derby
• Middlesbrough v The Tigers
• Millwall versus The Robins
• Wrexham versus North End

League One

• Cardiff v Boro

Recent Team News

Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups

The early game, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the Championship, looks like an exciting match. These are the two XIs.

Coventry (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, Woolfenden, Kitching, the left-back; the midfielder, the captain; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, Mason-Clark; Wright.

Substitutes: The backup keeper, Allen, the forward, the defender, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, the youngster, the player.

Ipswich (4-2-3-1) Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, the defender, the left-back; the midfielder, the midfielder; the attacker, the playmaker, the winger; the centre-forward.

Subs: The goalkeeper, the defender, Johnson, the defender, the midfielder, Burns, the forward, the attacker, the striker.

The official Backhouse (from Cumbria).

Afcon 2025: First Group Permutations

The situation is complex. It always is where only some third-place sides progress. This is the current state before tonight’s last round of matches.

• Morocco 4 points, +2 goal difference
• Mali 2pts, GD0 (goals scored 2)
• The Copper Bullets 2 points, 0 goal difference (goals scored 1)
• The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference

To summarize, Morocco are probably fine though they will aim to beat their opponents and win the group. Zambia likely requires at least a point against the hosts. The island nation likely must to overcome their rivals, who should advance with a point.

A host of potential results and permutations.

Angola v Egypt Update

The denouement of the second group at this continental championship is being covered. To avoid spoilers, it's best not to seek out that information.

Championship Table Overview

Pos	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Coventry	23	31	51
2	Middlesbrough	23	9	43
3	Ipswich	23	15	38
4	Hull	23	2	38
5	Preston North End	23	7	37
6	Bristol City	23	7	36
7	Millwall	23	-6	36
8	Watford	23	4	35
9	QPR	23	-2	35
10	Stoke	23	7	34
11	Derby	23	1	32
12	Southampton	23	4	31
13	Wrexham	23	2	31
14	Leicester	23	-1	31
15	Birmingham	23	1	30
16	West Brom	23	-5	28
17	Charlton	22	-6	27
18	Blackburn	22	-4	26
19	Sheff Utd	23	-5	26
20	Swansea	23	-7	26
21	Oxford Utd	23	-8	22
22	Portsmouth	22	-10	22
23	Norwich	23	-9	21
24	Sheff Wed	22	-27	-8