There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes and a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations. However, even by the tournament's extraordinary standards, the final of the 2025 edition was like nothing we've ever seen before - albeit not in a good way. In the 93rd minute of a tense but largely uneventful encounter in Rabat, Senegal had a goal from Ismaila Sarr very harshly disallowed for a perceived foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi beforehand. Just moments later, Morocco were awarded a penalty after an invention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who had spotted a minor tug on Brahim Diaz's shirt by El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Victor Osimhen marred Nigeria's commanding 4-0 victory over Mozambique with a shocking display of petulance that stunned spectators. The striker squared up to team-mate Ademola Lookman mid-game before demanding to be subbed off and storming onto the team bus alone, leaving his colleagues to celebrate reaching the Africa Cup Of Nations quarter-finals without him.
The Super Eagles, who have won the competition three times - 1980 when they hosted it, 1994 in Tunisia, and 2013 in South Africa, were in a class of their own against Os Mambas in a Round of 16 assignment played at the Fez Stadium on Monday night. It was a game they needed to win as they chase their fourth crown, having come close in 2023.