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Hello to the full night of EFL and continental football fixtures. We'll be covering key second-tier encounters plus the crucial final pool matches in the Afcon competition.

Preamble

Oh, hi folks. You are welcome to the arguably the penultimate football clockwatch of 2025. There’s a full EFL programme, starting with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 6pm, and we will also monitor at least a third of an eye on the two evening games from the first group at this Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia as well as Mali facing Comoros.

We'll be focussing on these games, all 7.45pm start times except where noted.

Afcon 2025

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

Championship

• The Sky Blues versus The Tractor Boys (18:00)
• The Foxes v The Rams
• Boro v Hull
• The Lions v The Robins
• The Red Dragons v North End

League One

• The Bluebirds versus Boro

Recent Team News

Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups

The early game, between the teams who are first and third in the Championship, promises to be an exciting match. Here are the two XIs.

Coventry City (4-2-3-1) The goalkeeper; the right-back, the centre-back, the defender, Brau; the midfielder, Grimes; the winger, Rudoni, the forward; the striker.

Subs: Wilson, the midfielder, Simms, the defender, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, Perry, the player.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1) The shot-stopper; the defender, the centre-half, Kipre, the left-back; the midfielder, Taylor; the attacker, Nunez, the winger; the centre-forward.

Substitutes: Palmer, the defender, Johnson, the defender, Cajuste, Burns, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, Akpom.

Referee Anthony Backhouse (from Cumbria).

Afcon 2025: Group A Permutations

Look, it’s complicated. It always is when some but not all third-placed teams progress. Here’s how things look before this evening's last round of matches.

• The Atlas Lions 4pts, GD+2
• Mali 2 points, GD0 (goals scored 2)
• Zambia 2pts, GD0 (goals scored 1)
• Comoros 1pt, -2 goal difference

Briefly, Morocco is likely safe though they will aim to defeat Zambia to win the group. Zambia probably need a draw or better against the hosts. The island nation probably must to beat Mali, who will probably be okay if they get a point.

A host of potential results and permutations.

Egypt's Match with Angola Update

The denouement to the second group at the Africa Cup of Nations is being covered. For those wishing to remain unaware, it's best not to seek out that information.

Second Tier Standings 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