Manchester United have a long and storied history of developing world-class talent, but the latest sensation emerging from Carrington is generating a level of excitement rarely seen in recent years. JJ Gabriel, the 15-year-old wonderkid who has already made history at the club, left spectators speechless during an Under-18 Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest with a performance that evoked memories of a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United's Under-18s secured a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham in extra-time to reach the Premier League Cup final. Watched by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, 16-year-old Kai Rooney mirrored his father's big-game legacy, coming off the bench to seal the win alongside standout talent JJ Gabriel. The young Red Devils now prepare to face Crystal Palace.
Wayne Rooney was in attendance as his son Kai came on as a substitute for Manchester United's Under-18s in the 6-1 thrashing of Derby County at Carrington on Wednesday afternoon. However, the 16-year-old's appearance was overshadowed as another Red Devils wonderkid impressed with two goals in the Under-18 Premier League.
Arsenal and Tottenham fans joined forces to rage at match officials after Newcastle were awarded a controversial late penalty against Spurs in the Premier League on Tuesday. Rodrigo Bentancur was penalised for fouling Dan Burn in the area in the 86th minute, leaving fans furious at the decision. Anthony Gordon converted the spot-kick to make it 2-1, but Cristian Romero rescued a draw for the visitors in stoppage time.
Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel rubbed further salt into Liverpool’s wounds as he celebrated like Alexander Isak after netting a hat-trick in his side’s 7-0 thrashing of the Reds’ Under-18s on Saturday. The highly-rated 15-year-old enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a remarkable performance which helped Darren Fletcher’s youngsters move up to third in the U18 Premier League table.
Manchester United's hopes of keeping teenage sensation JJ Gabriel, nicknamed 'Kid Messi', have been given a massive boost as Arsenal's supposed interest in the player has been labelled as "premature". The 15-year-old, widely tipped as one of the most gifted players to emerge from United's academy since Marcus Rashford, has agreed to commit his immediate future to Old Trafford after a tense behind-closed-doors meeting with United chiefs Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada.
Egypt are the team who have won the most AFCON titles in history, with seven to their name. It was in 1957, the inaugural edition of AFCON, where Egypt attained glory. They would go on to add three more trophies before the turn of the century (1957, 1986, 1998), before completing a threepeat in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
How many teams are in the AFCON?
The first-ever AFCON featured just three teams. Between 1968 and 1990, eight teams featured in the tournament. An expansion in 1992 saw 12 teams feature in AFCON, and 16 from 1998. The latest expansion in 2019, though, sees 24 teams fight for glory.
Who has made the most AFCON appearances ever?
Cameroon legend Rigobert Song set the record of most AFCON appearances in 2010, playing in his 36th game in the tournament. That record was equalled by Ghanaian icon Andre Ayew in 2024.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the AFCON?
Cameroon icon Samuel Eto'o leads the all-time goalscoring charts with an impressive 18 goals over the course of 29 matches during six different tournaments.
Who is the oldest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Egypt's Essam El Hadary is the oldest player ever to play in AFCON at the age of 44 years and 21 days. He achieved this feat in 2017 during Egypt's 2-1 loss to Cameroon.
Who is the youngest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Former Ghana defender Joseph Odoi made his AFCON debut in 1984 at the age of 15 years and 164 days, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous players have played in the AFCON?
Samuel Eto'o, Mohamed Salah, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sadio Mane, Roger Milla, Ahmed Hassan, George Weah, etc, are some of the biggest names to have featured in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous managers have managed in the AFCON?
Charles Gyamfi, Hassan Shehata, Herve Renard, and Avram Grant are some of the most famous coaches to have led their respective teams at AFCON.