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Greetings to the packed evening of Football League and continental soccer fixtures. Our focus includes key Championship matches plus the pivotal last group games in the Afcon competition.

Opening Notes

Hello everyone. You are welcome to what is arguably the penultimate soccer clockwatch of the year. There’s an extensive Football League slate, kicking off with Coventry v Ipswich at 18:00, while we will also monitor a close watch on the two evening games from Group A at the Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia and Comoros v Mali.

Our primary attention will be on these games, with 19:45 kick-offs unless stated.

Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures

• Comoros v The Eagles (7pm)
• Zambia versus Morocco (19:00)

Second Division Matches

• Coventry versus Ipswich (6pm)
• The Foxes v The Rams
• Boro versus The Tigers
• The Lions v The Robins
• The Red Dragons v Preston

Third Tier Fixture

• The Bluebirds versus Boro

Latest Team News

Ipswich at Coventry Team News

The evening's opener, featuring the sides sitting top and third in the second tier, looks like a thriller. Here are the starting elevens.

Coventry (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, Woolfenden, Kitching, Brau; the midfielder, Grimes; the winger, the attacking midfielder, the forward; the striker.

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

Ipswich Town (a 4-2-3-1 setup) Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, the defender, Greaves; the midfielder, Taylor; the attacker, Nunez, Jack Clarke; the centre-forward.

Substitutes: The goalkeeper, the defender, the midfielder, the defender, Cajuste, the winger, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.

The official Backhouse (Cumbria).

Afcon 2025: First Group Permutations

The situation is complex. It always is where only some third-placed sides qualify. This is the current state before this evening's last round of matches.

• The Atlas Lions 4pts, +2 goal difference
• The Eagles 2pts, GD0 (with 2 goals for)
• The Copper Bullets 2 points, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
• The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference

To summarize, Morocco is likely safe though they will aim to defeat their opponents to top their pool. Zambia probably need at least a point against the hosts. Comoros likely must to beat Mali, who will probably be okay if they get a draw.

A host of potential results and permutations.

Angola v Egypt Latest

The final act to Group B at this Africa Cup of Nations has coverage elsewhere. For those wishing to remain unaware, 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