That about wraps it up for tonight, and for 2025. Wherever you are, have a happy new year. And join me tomorrow for the first clockwatch of 2026. We go again!

Here’s the schedule for those last-16 games, starting on Saturday.

Senegal v Sudan Saturday 4pm (all times GMT)
Mali v Tunisia Saturday 7pm
Morocco v Tanzania Sunday 4pm
South Africa v Cameroon Sunday 7pm
Egypt v Benin Monday 4pm
Nigeria v Mozambique Monday 7pm
Algeria v DR Congo Tuesday 4pm
Côte d’Ivoire v Burkina Faso Tuesday 7pm

So, Côte d’Ivoire will face neighbours Burkina Faso next, and could potentially face Egypt in the quarter-finals. It’s a marginally better route than the one now handed to Cameroon, who face South Africa before a likely last-eight meeting with the hosts, Morocco. Algeria, DR Congo and Nigeria (who play Mozambique next) are also on that side of the draw.

To confirm, Côte d’Ivoire top the group on goals scored, with Cameroon second and Mozambique making it through as one of the four best third-placed sides.

97 mins: No goal! The original decision isn’t overturned, which is a bit baffling, but it doesn’t look like it will matter …

95 mins: Goal? As Gabon pour forward, their opponents break and Amad gets beyond the last man, squaring to Yan Diomande to fire into an empty net. The flag goes up, but it looks to me like Amad was in his own half when the ball was played. Will VAR step in?

It’s finished Mozambique 1-2 Cameroon in Agadir – which means the Indomitable Lions will have to settle for second place.

94 mins: Kanga, who opened the scoring a long time ago, sends his cross far beyond the goal. And that may be it.

What a moment for the teenager to score his first international goal. He’s sent Cote d’Ivoire back to the top of the group – but at the other end, Gabon have a free kick …

90 mins: Five added minutes! Can Cote d’Ivoire grab a winner?

89 mins: A couple of stoppages have stalled Cote d’Ivoire’s momentum, and we’re now waiting on the stoppage time board. There are four added minutes in the Cameroon game, which is a couple of minutes ahead.

87 mins: Amad attempts a bicycle kick and the ball ricochets back to Seri, who sends a snatched effort high over the bar.

86 mins: Another Gabon change, as striker Averlant is replaced by Samake Nze.

85 mins: What does that mean for the standings? Cameroon are still top, but a Cote d’Ivoire winner would send them back into first place on goals scored – unless Cameroon can score again.

82 mins: A final change for Cote d’Ivoire, with young Leipzig forward Yan Diomande replacing Krasso up front.

80 mins: Cote d’Ivoire have 66.9% possession so far, but it’s Gabon with 66.7% of the goals. Over in Agadir, Joao Bonde has just missed a very good chance to level for Mozambique.

78 mins: Amad takes the free kick but sends his shot over the bar. In the other game, it remains Mozambique 1-2 Cameroon.

77 mins: Gabon make two more changes before the free kick is taken, with Oyono and the impressive centre-back Mick Omfia going off. Jonathan Do Marcelino and Royce Openda come on.

76 mins: Gabon’s Jeremy Oyono has to go off for treatment – and now Amad makes an immediate impact, cutting inside and winning a dangerous free kick …

75 mins: Two more changes for Cote d’Ivoire. Diakite is replaced by Amad Diallo – who gets a big cheer from the fans – and Strasbourg’s Guela Doue is on for Zohouri.

74 mins: Guessand gets involved for the first time, but his downward header is hoofed away by Lemina before anyone else can react.

73 mins: Gabon win another corner, but the delivery doesn’t trouble Lafont and Cote d’Ivoire come away with the ball.

71 mins: Cote d’Ivoire clear it away and Diakite holds the ball up under pressure, earning big cheers from the Ivorian fans in attendance.

70 mins: Gabon are still working incredibly hard to preserve this lead, and right-back Oyono wins them a useful corner at the other end …

69 mins: Inao Oulai tries to bend his shot into the far corner, but it spins high and wide.

68 mins: Here come two changes – Kessie is replaced by Bazoumana Toure, with Zaha coming off for Aston Villa’s Evann Guessand. It’s an attacking change, with two forwards coming on.

66 mins: Cote d’Ivoire look the more tired team in this second half; surely some substitutions are due? Diakite tries to pull the ball back to Zohouri on the edge of the area, but his pass is behind the onrushing defender.

64 mins: Lemina gets back to shepherd the ball away from Diakite, who fouls the Gabon captain in frustration. He’s on a booking, and needs to be more careful than that.

63 mins: Zaha shuffles into the penalty area and goes down in stages, but the referee waves play on. Then there’s a stoppage in play as Lemina gets treatment for a knock.

61 mins: Operi opts to shoot rather than cross, and sends it into the wall. It trickles away for a corner, which is cleared at the near post.

60 mins: With Cameroon 2-1 up, Cote d’Ivoire need to win this game to claim top spot. They’ve yet to get going in the second half, but have a free kick just outside the area …

58 mins: Another good chance for Gabon, with the relentless Bouanga finding Averlant, who leans back and can’t keep his shot down from an angle.

55 mins: Big miss! Gabon should have restored their two-goal cushion here, as Bouanga’s cut back finds N’Della – but the substitute blazes his shot over from 10 yards out!

Mozambique 1-2 Cameroon: Christian Kofane fires Cameroon in front with a shot that cannons in off the underside of the bar. That consolidates their place at the top of the group, with Cote d’Ivoire in second.

52 mins: Krasso tries to make inroads into the Gabon area but is dispossessed, and now Diakite is booked for a clattering tackle.

50 mins: Cote d’Ivoire are the defending champions – and they won that title on home soil despite losing their final group game 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea. They haven’t started this half with the same intensity, perhaps hoping to lull Gabon into a false sense of security.

49 mins: A scrappy spell in midfield ends with a Gabon free kick. Lemina finds Poko out on the right flank, but his cross is headed away by Agbadou.

46 mins: An early half chance for Cote d’Ivoire, with Krasso’s slight header taking the ball out of Zaha’s path at the far post.

The players are making their way back out in Marrakech and Agadir, while fans in the stands wave flags, dance and generally have a lovely time.

Here’s a reminder of the last-16 bracket. If it stays this way, Cameroon will play Burkina Faso next, with Cote d’Ivoire facing South Africa, and Mozambique taking on Nigeria.

Mali v Tunisia
Senegal v Sudan
Egypt v Benin
[Winner Group F] v Burkina Faso
South Africa v [Runner-up Group F]
Morocco v Tanzania
Algeria v DR Congo
Nigeria v [third place Group F]

Mozambique 1-1 Cameroon: Half time in the other game, and it’s all square. That means as it stands, Cameroon will top the group with five points, with Cote d’Ivoire second on four points by virtue of their previous victory over Mozambique.

46 mins: Gabon win a free kick some 35 yards out, but Kanga eventually drags an effort wide from the edge of the area. Zohouri goes in the book for the foul.

45 mins: Two minutes of stoppage time and Cote d’Ivoire keep pushing. Operi sends a tempting cross through the six-yard box, but nobody is there and at the back post, Diakite can only chip it behind for a goal kick.

42 mins: Operi’s latest cross into the box is cleared, and Kanga draws a foul from Jean-Michael Seri. The frustration continues for Cote d’Ivoire.

40 mins: Diakite cuts the ball back towards Zaha, but Moucketou-Moussounda does really well to get a foot to the ball first.

39 mins: Cote d’Ivoire win a corner and Agbadou connects with his head, but it’s straight at Bekale. They need to take one of these chances, preferably before half time.

Mozambique 1-1 Cameroon: Kofane has the ball in the net for Cameroon after rounding the keeper – but the striker is flagged offside.

35 mins: Cote d’Ivoire go close again! Christ Inao Oulai, a teenager who plays for Trabzonspor, almost scores one of the goals of the tournament with a shot from 30 yards that swerves in mid-air, but flies just beyond the top corner.

33 mins: Eek! Albon Lafont, making his Afcon debut in goal, was at fault for the opener and he presents the ball to Oyono here, while miles out of his goal. Thankfully for the keeper, Oyono can’t get his shot on target from distance.

31 mins: Cote d’Ivoire hit the post! Diakite looks the most likely player in white to make a breakthrough, and he looks odds-on to score after surging towards goal – but he blasts his shot far too hard, and it cannons off the outside of the post.

Mozambique 1-1 Cameroon: All square again in Agadir. After a bit of penalty-box pinball, Nene tries desperately to clear off the line, but can only turn the ball into his own net.

30 mins: Diakite shoots from a narrow angle and Bekale juggles the ball behind for a corner. The ball falls to Kessie who plays it back to Diomande, but he can’t find a gap in the yellow wall.

28 mins: There’s also the matter of World Cup revenge for Gabon – Cote d’Ivoire pipped them to qualification by a single point.

26 mins: Cote d’Ivoire are trying to regroup – it’s fair to say that Emerse Fae’s raft of changes have not paid off so far. Bouanga threatens to burst through again but is held up, and eventually penalised for a foul on Agbadou.

Mozambique 1-0 Cameroon: A big goal in Group F’s other game – Geny Catamo has fired Mozambique in front! So as it stands, the underdogs top the group – with Cote d’Ivoire in third place on goal difference.

It’s a brilliant finish from Denis Bouanga, steering Poko’s deflected cross first time into the far corner with the Ivorian defence all over the place.

19 mins: Cote d’Ivoire think they have a penalty as Oulai is bustled over in the area by Poko – but the referee’s whistle is actually for offside against Oulai.

18 mins: The pattern of the game looks to be established now, with Gabon sitting back and inviting their opponents to break them down.

16 mins: Didier Ndong is booked for a clumsy foul about 10 yards outside the area. Another chance to bend a cross in, but Gabon deal with the danger again.

14 mins: As it stands, Cameroon lead Group F – their game against Mozambique is still goalless – while Cote d’Ivoire sit second.

13 mins: Cote d’Ivoire look to hit back quickly, with the ball deflected over the bar after Gabon keeper Bekale went walkabout. The corner finds the head of Diomande, but the centre-back sends his effort wide.

After a spell of Ivorian pressure, Gabon break away through Bouanga, who holds the ball up for Kanga. His pass out wide founds Averlant, whose shot is saved by Lafont – but the keeper spills it, and Kanga is there to tuck away the rebound!

8 mins: Cote d’Ivoire win a free kick just left of the area, which Operi swings into the right area, but nobody in white can get the killer touch.

6 mins: Cote d’Ivoire win a corner that rebounds into the path of Wilfried Zaha. He takes his time to line it up, and it’s deflected behind off Ndong for another corner, which is cleared away.

4 mins: Emmanuel Agbadou gets back to clear the danger from a Gabon long ball upfield.

2 mins: Cote d’Ivoire have started on the front foot, zipping the ball around nicely before a deep cross is punched clear by Bekale.

“I’ve watched a few games recently that would put years on anyone,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Man Utd v Wolves was the latest. So I hope your transannual travels are at least entertaining tonight.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever done a live blog across two different years; if you’re reading this in a country where it’s already 2026, let us know how it’s going.

If you’re wondering why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang isn’t anywhere to be found on the Gabon team sheet – he’s already left Afcon and returned to Marseille, having played through injury at the tournament.

Côte d’Ivoire have made several changes from the team that drew with Cameroon, resting the likes of Amad Diallo, Ibrahim Sangare and Seko Fofana with a place in the last 16 already guaranteed.

Here’s how the last 16 bracket looks, with just Group F’s three qualifiers to be slotted in later. While the third-placed team will have to face Nigeria, the routes for first and second aren’t too different: a winnable last-16 tie, then probably Egypt or Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Mali v Tunisia
Senegal v Sudan
Egypt v Benin
[Winner Group F] v Burkina Faso
South Africa v [Runner-up Group F]
Morocco v Tanzania
Algeria v DR Congo
Nigeria v [third place Group F]

In Group E, Algeria were already assured of top spot but secured their third straight win, defeating Equatorial Guinea 3-1. Zineddine Belaid, Fares Chaibi and Ibrahim Maza all struck in the first half for Algeria, with Emilio Nsue getting a consolation goal for eliminated Equatorial Guinea.

In the other game, Burkina Faso sealed second place in the group with a 2-0 win over Sudan, who still go through as one of the best third-placed teams. Lassina Traore and Arsene Kouassi scored for the Stallions in Casablanca.