Victor Osimhen, the Galatasaray forward, is closing in on Rashidi Yekini’s long-standing record as Nigeria’s all-time leading goalscorer.
This comes after he netted a brace in Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Morocco on Monday night.
Entering the match with 32 international goals, the 27-year-old attacker added to his tally during the match in Morocco, bringing his total to 34 goals, just three shy of Yekini’s record of 37.
Here’s Nigeria’s all-time top scorers:
37 goals – Rashidi Yekini
34 goals – Victor Osimhen
23 goals – Segun Odegbami
21 goals – Yakubu Aiyegbeni
19 goals – Ikechukwu Uche
18 goals – Obafemi Martins
17 goals – Sunday Oyarekua
16 goals – Odion Ighalo, Samson Siasia, and Ahmed Musa
Nigeria booked a convincing place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a dominant 4-0 victory over Mozambique in their round-of-16 encounter on Monday night in Fes.
The three-time champions delivered one of their most complete performances of the tournament at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, overwhelming the Mambas with pace, movement and clinical finishing.
Victor Osimhen scored twice, while Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams were also on the scoresheet as Eric Chelle’s side advanced with authority.
Early control sets the tone
Osimhen found the net inside two minutes, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
The Super Eagles continued to apply pressure, with Alex Iwobi forcing an early save from goalkeeper Ernan after a strike from distance.
The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute. Iwobi split the defence with a precise pass to Akor Adams, who cut the ball back for Lookman to finish calmly inside the area.
Lookman, Osimhen, Akor Adams shine as Super Eagles reach AFCON 2025 quarter-finals – Getty image
Five minutes later, Nigeria doubled their advantage as Iwobi again picked out Lookman, whose driven cross deflected kindly into Osimhen’s path for a close-range finish.
Mozambique struggled to cope with Nigeria’s intensity, while Chelle’s men controlled possession and tempo for the remainder of the half.
Adams and Lookman both passed up opportunities to extend the lead before the interval.
Osimhen and Adams complete the job
Nigeria effectively ended the contest moments after the restart. Lookman once again proved decisive, weaving into the box before squaring for Osimhen to tap in his second goal of the night and third of the tournament, making it 3-0.
With Mozambique stretched, Nigeria continued to create chances. The fourth goal arrived in the 75th minute, with Lookman turning provider yet again, this time setting up Adams, who rifled a powerful effort into the roof of the net.
The Super Eagles could have added further goals in the closing stages but eased off as the match drew to a close, having already put the result beyond doubt.
The win took Nigeria’s tally to 12 goals in the competition, the highest of any team so far.
Quarter-final test awaits
Mozambique bowed out of the tournament, unable to contain Nigeria’s attacking depth.
For the Super Eagles, attention now turns to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the round-of-16 tie between Algeria and DR Congo on Saturday, January 10.
Tyson Fury has announced his return to professional boxing in 2026, a year after stepping away from the sport for the fifth time.
The former heavyweight champion announced his decision on Instagram, ending months of speculation after sharing training clips over the festive period.
“2026 is that year. Return of the mac,” Fury wrote. “Been away for a while but im back now, 37 years old and still punching.
“Nothing better to do than punch men in the face & get paid for it.”
Fury retired in January 2025, a month after suffering his second consecutive points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, who beat him twice in 2024 in Saudi Arabia and Riyadh as the Brit failed in his bid to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
Despite those losses, Fury boasts a 34-2-1 record and is a two-time world champion, having defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and Deontay Wilder in 2020.
The 37-year-old has a long history of retirements and comebacks, having previously stepped away from boxing in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2022, each time returning to the ring months later.
A potential third fight with Usyk would still draw huge interest, while a long-awaited all-British clash with Anthony Joshua had been targeted for 2026. That bout is now uncertain following a recent car crash involving Joshua that killed two close members of his team.
Speaking on the situation, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said Joshua’s future in the sport was unclear.
“This is an awful time for everyone involved,”Warren said. “I don’t even know if he will ever have the appetite to fight again or if he will ever fight again, that is something that only time will tell.”
Fury also sent his condolences to Joshua after the crash, writing on social media: “This is so sad. May God give them a good bed in heaven.”
With his latest announcement, Fury now appears set on another comeback, aiming to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been promised a $10,000 bonus (about ₦14 million) for each goal they score in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Round of 16 clash against Mozambique.
According to BSNSports, the incentive, provided by a Nigerian business mogul and team partner, applies to Monday’s knockout fixture at the Fez Stadium in Morocco.
The Super Eagles have been in prolific form, scoring eight goals across their three Group C matches in the tournament’s first round.
The same partner had earlier rewarded the team with $5,000 per goal during the group stage, a bonus structure that has now been doubled for the knockout phase.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, confirmed the development while addressing journalists in Rabat.
“We have fully mobilized the Super Eagles to succeed in this tournament,” Dikko said. “On the part of the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the AFCON Intervention Fund on November 14.
“In addition, our partners and sponsors paid $5,000 per goal in the group stage and have now committed $10,000 per goal for the Round of 16. The incentives will continue to improve as the tournament progresses.”
Cameroon progressed to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after edging South Africa 2-1 in a tightly contested round of 16 fixture in Rabat.
The match opened at a high tempo, with South Africa enjoying more initiative in the early stages.
Relebohile Mofokeng tested Cameroon’s defensive shape with direct running, while striker Foster briefly thought he had given his side the lead in the 14th minute, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Despite creating promising openings and applying sustained pressure, Hugo Broos’ side lacked the cutting edge required to translate possession into goals.
Cameroon absorbed that pressure and gradually settled, prioritising structure and discipline.
Cameroon kick South Africa out of AFCON 2025 – Getty image
Against the run of play, the Indomitable Lions took the lead in the 34th minute when Junior Tchamadeu finished decisively past Ronwen Williams.
A VAR check followed, but the goal was upheld, shifting the momentum firmly in Cameroon’s favour heading into the break.
Cameroon extend advantage after restart
Cameroon emerged from halftime with greater intent and were rewarded early in the second half.
Mahamadou Nagida delivered a precise cross from the flank, which Christian Kofane met with a controlled header to make it 2-0, leaving South Africa with a significant task to recover.
South Africa responded by increasing their attacking urgency, but Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy produced key interventions, including sharp saves to deny Samukelo Kabini and Teboho Mokoena.
Cameroon also remained dangerous on the counter, with Bryan Mbeumo leading a rapid break that nearly resulted in a third goal, only for Williams to keep his side alive.
Late scare, but Cameroon hold firm
South Africa finally found a breakthrough in the 87th minute when substitute Evidence Makgopa converted from close range after a well-weighted cross by Aubrey Modiba, setting up a tense finish.
Bafana Bafana pushed aggressively for an equaliser in the closing minutes, committing numbers forward and testing Cameroon’s defensive resolve.
However, Cameroon managed the final stages, slowing the game and maintaining their defensive shape to protect the lead.
The result confirmed their place in the quarterfinals, while South Africa bowed out despite a competitive performance.
Cameroon will now turn their attention to a quarterfinal showdown against hosts Morocco.
Enzo Fernandez scored deep into stoppage time as Chelsea secured a hard-earned Premier League draw at Manchester City, capping a turbulent week with a credible result.
Under interim coach Calum McFarlane, Chelsea executed a disciplined game plan and were rewarded after Tijjani Reijnders’ first-half goal had put the hosts on course for victory.
City dominance, missed chances
Manchester City controlled long spells and created the clearer openings, with Erling Haaland striking the post and forcing a sharp save from Filip Jorgensen before Reijnders broke the deadlock just before half-time.
Pep Guardiola’s side appeared well placed to extend their strong home run, but wastefulness in front of goal proved costly once again, compounding recent dropped points in the title race.
Enzo Fernandez scored deep into stoppage time as Chelsea secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester City – Getty image
Chelsea resilience under interim boss
Chelsea improved after the break, spurning chances through Pedro Neto and Liam Delap before finally finding a breakthrough.
Fernandez reacted quickest at the far post to convert a low cross, sealing a deserved point.
The result leaves City six points behind leaders Arsenal, while Chelsea remain firmly in the top-five conversation
Manchester United’s inconsistent run continued at Elland Road, but Matheus Cunha spared Ruben Amorim further criticism by salvaging a point against Leeds.
United were second best for long spells and looked set for another damaging result before Cunha intervened.
The hosts imposed themselves early, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin heading against the post before Brenden Aaronson broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute with a precise low finish.
At that point, Amorim was firmly under pressure following United’s midweek failure to beat bottom side Wolves.
Leeds continued to threaten, with Noah Okafor forcing a spectacular save from Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko squandering a gilt-edged chance from close range.
<img class="size-full wp-image-1239336 entered exited" src="data:;base64,” alt=”EPL: Cunha rescues point for Man United against Leeds” width=”720″ height=”480″ data-lazy-srcset=”https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/every-second-media-alamy-live-1049352142.webp 720w, https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/every-second-media-alamy-live-1049352142-300×200.webp 300w, https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/every-second-media-alamy-live-1049352142-220×147.webp 220w, https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/every-second-media-alamy-live-1049352142-330×220.webp 330w” data-lazy-sizes=”(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px” data-lazy-src=”https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/every-second-media-alamy-live-1049352142.webp” />Cunha scores in less than three minutes after Leeds opener – Getty image
United response limits damage
United drew level just three minutes later when Cunha ran onto Joshua Zirkzee’s pass and slid the ball under Lucas Perri.
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The goal, Cunha’s fourth since his £62.5m move, came at a critical time with Amorim missing several attacking options through injury and international duty.
Cunha later struck the post after having an earlier goal ruled out for offside.
The draw extends Leeds’ unbeaten run to seven games and leaves them eight points clear of relegation trouble, while United once again failed to capitalise on an opportunity to move into the top four.
Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem has spoken of his admiration for former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, describing him as his idol within the national team.
Awaziem revealed that he and Obi Mikel used to live together in a home in Jos, Plateau State, during their early years.
In addition, the Nantes star also hailed Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos as another important influence in his football career, particularly in his defensive role.
Ahead of Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash with Mozambique at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, Awaziem stated (via Jekanmo Fan Family): “John Obi Mikel is my idol. Even though I am not a midfielder, I knew him since I was young.”
“We lived together in an old neighborhood in Jos, and I’ve known Mikel for a long time. He also came from my academy.”
Awaziem further disclosed, “Sergio Ramos is my idol when it comes to my position.”
