Football Live Updates: EFL Championship and AFCON 2025
Birmingham City vs. Derby County
In the EFL Championship, Birmingham City faced Derby County at St. Andrew's on Boxing Day. Birmingham entered the match looking to end a four-game winless streak. Derby County, managed by John Eustace, has been struggling with back-to-back home draws but have an impressive away record in the Championship.
The match started with Derby County taking the lead through Patrick Agyemang in the 27th minute after a counter-attack. Joe Ward extended Derby's lead in the 39th minute.
For Birmingham, key players including Laird, Buchanan, Wright, Beadle, and Cochrane were unavailable due to injury. Osayi-Samuel was absent due to international duty, and Doyle served a suspension. Derby was without Morris, Ozoh, and Beck because of injuries, while Travis and Johnston were unfit.
Egypt vs. South Africa: AFCON 2025 Group B Showdown
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 is underway in Morocco, and a highlight match saw Egypt face South Africa in a Group B clash at the Grand Stade d'Agadir. Both teams secured victories in their opening matches, increasing the stakes for this encounter. Egypt narrowly defeated Zimbabwe 2-1, with Mohamed Salah scoring a late winner. South Africa also started strong, overcoming Angola 2-1.
This match marks a significant rivalry, with South Africa having upset Egypt in their last AFCON encounter in 2019. Statistics favor South Africa, who are undefeated in their last six matches against Egypt.
Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, acknowledged South Africa's strength, stating his team had analyzed their opponent's strengths and weaknesses and devised plans to contain them. Midfielder Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet emphasized the importance of the match and the team's preparation. South Africa's Lyle Foster highlighted the team's high morale and focus.
Other AFCON 2025 Updates
Matchday 5 of AFCON 2025 marked the beginning of the second round of group-stage fixtures. Other matches included Angola against Zimbabwe, Zambia against Comoros, and Morocco against Mali.
Several top-seeded teams, including Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon, secured victories in their opening matches. The tournament is being hosted in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, with the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
EFL Championship Round-Up
Sky Sports showcased a full EFL card on Boxing Day, including Birmingham vs. Derby and Millwall vs. Ipswich. Other matches included Coventry vs. Swansea, Leicester vs. Watford, and Middlesbrough vs. Blackburn.
