France, Dec. 31 -- Nigeria's party-poopers

As the battle loomed, Paul Put threw down the gauntlet: vanquish Nigeria and qualify for the last-16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and I will invite you to dance with me. However, not even this propsect could motivate his players. They laboured and lost to a Nigeria side featuring four men who had not yet played at the competition. One of them, Raphael Onyedika, bagged a brace in the 3-1 win at the Stade de Fes.

Birthday presence

A day after his 27th birthday, Victor Osimhen skippered Nigeria against Uganda in the absence of Wilfred Ndidi. And the star striker was his usual effervescent self on the field. Off it, he was acting the kindly big brother for Raphael Onyedika who collected the m...