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Welcome to a full evening of EFL as well as international football action. We'll be covering key second-tier encounters plus the crucial final pool matches in this Africa Cup of Nations competition.

Opening Notes

Greetings to all. You are welcome to the checks writing desk rota the penultimate soccer clockwatch of the year. There’s an extensive EFL programme, starting with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 6pm, and we will also monitor at least a third of an eye on both night games from Group A at this Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia and Mali facing Comoros.

We'll be focussing on these matches, with 19:45 kick-offs unless stated.

Afcon 2025

• The Coelacanths versus Mali (7pm)
• Zambia versus The Atlas Lions (19:00)

Championship

• The Sky Blues v The Tractor Boys (18:00)
• Leicester versus The Rams
• Middlesbrough versus Hull
• Millwall versus Bristol City
• Wrexham v North End

Third Tier Fixture

• Cardiff v Stevenage

Recent Team News

Coventry v Ipswich Confirmed Lineups

The early game, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the Championship, looks like a thriller. Here are the starting elevens.

Coventry City (4-2-3-1) The goalkeeper; van Ewijk, Woolfenden, the defender, the left-back; the midfielder, Grimes; the winger, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Wright.

Subs: Wilson, the midfielder, the forward, the defender, the full-back, Latibeaudiere, the midfielder, Perry, Andrews.

Ipswich Town (a 4-2-3-1 setup) Walton; the defender, O’Shea, the defender, the left-back; the midfielder, Taylor; the attacker, Nunez, the winger; Azon.

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

Referee Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).

Afcon 2025: First Group Scenarios

Look, it’s complicated. That's often the case when some but not all third-place teams qualify. This is the current state before this evening's final round of games.

• Morocco 4pts, GD+2
• The Eagles 2 points, 0 goal difference (with 2 goals for)
• Zambia 2pts, 0 goal difference (goals scored 1)
• The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference

Briefly, Morocco are probably fine but will want to beat their opponents and win the group. Zambia probably need at least a point against the hosts. The island nation probably must to overcome Mali, who should advance with a draw.

A host of potential results and permutations.

Egypt's Match with Angola Latest

The denouement of Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. To avoid spoilers, avoid following that coverage.

Second Tier Table Snapshot

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