Coventry against Ipswich, The Foxes v Derby, and More Football Action Updates
Welcome for a packed night of EFL and international football fixtures. The spotlight falls on important second-tier matches plus those crucial final pool games in the Africa Cup of Nations competition.
Opening Notes
Hello everyone. Welcome to the checks writing desk rota this penultimate football live blog of 2025. There’s a full EFL slate, starting with Ipswich's trip to Coventry at 18:00, while we will also monitor a close watch on both evening fixtures from the first group at the Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia as well as Mali facing Comoros.
We'll be focussing on these games, with 7.45pm kick-offs except where noted.
Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures
- The Coelacanths versus Mali (19:00)
- Zambia v Morocco (19:00)
Second Division Matches
- The Sky Blues v The Tractor Boys (6pm)
- The Foxes versus Derby
- Middlesbrough v Hull
- The Lions v Bristol City
- Wrexham versus North End
League One
- Cardiff v Boro
Recent Team News
Ipswich at Coventry Confirmed Lineups
The evening's opener, between the teams who are first and third in the Championship, looks like a cracker. Here are the confirmed lineups.
Coventry (4-2-3-1) The goalkeeper; van Ewijk, the centre-back, Kitching, Brau; the midfielder, Grimes; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, Mason-Clark; the striker.
Subs: The backup keeper, Allen, the forward, the defender, Bidwell, Latibeaudiere, the midfielder, Perry, the player.
Ipswich (a 4-2-3-1 setup) Walton; Furlong, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; the midfielder, the midfielder; the attacker, Nunez, the winger; the centre-forward.
Substitutes: The goalkeeper, Young, the midfielder, Humphreys, the midfielder, the winger, the forward, the attacker, the striker.
The official Backhouse (Cumbria).
Afcon 2025: First Group Scenarios
The situation is complex. That's often the case where only some third-place teams qualify. Here’s how things look before this evening's final round of games.
- Morocco 4pts, GD+2
- The Eagles 2pts, 0 goal difference (with 2 goals for)
- The Copper Bullets 2 points, 0 goal difference (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1pt, -2 goal difference
To summarize, Morocco are probably fine but will want to beat Zambia and win the group. Zambia probably need a draw or better versus Morocco. Comoros likely must to beat Mali, who will probably be okay if they get a draw.
Many possibilities, various outcomes, plenty of scenarios.
Angola v Egypt Latest
The final act to the second group at the continental championship is being covered. If you don’t want to know the score, don’t click the link.
Championship 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 |
