Hello to a packed evening of Football League as well as international football fixtures. We'll be covering major Championship matches plus those pivotal last group games in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Introduction
Hello everyone. Welcome to the checks writing desk rota the penultimate football clockwatch of 2025. We have a full EFL schedule, starting with Coventry v Ipswich at 18:00, while we’ll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on the two evening fixtures from the first group at this Afcon: Morocco hosting Zambia and Comoros v Mali.
We'll be focussing on these games, all 7.45pm start times except where noted.
Afcon 2025
- Comoros versus The Eagles (19:00)
- The Copper Bullets v The Atlas Lions (7pm)
Championship
- The Sky Blues v Ipswich (18:00)
- Leicester v Derby
- Middlesbrough versus Hull
- Millwall versus Bristol City
- The Red Dragons v Preston
League One
- The Bluebirds v Stevenage
Recent Team News
Coventry v Ipswich Confirmed Lineups
The evening's opener, featuring the sides sitting first and third in the Championship, looks like a thriller. These are the two XIs.
Coventry City (4-2-3-1) The goalkeeper; van Ewijk, the centre-back, the defender, Brau; Torp, Grimes; Sakamoto, the attacking midfielder, the forward; the striker.
Subs: Wilson, the midfielder, the forward, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, Eccles, the youngster, Andrews.
Ipswich (a 4-2-3-1 setup) The shot-stopper; the defender, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; Matusiwa, Taylor; Walle, the playmaker, Jack Clarke; Azon.
Substitutes: Palmer, Young, Johnson, Humphreys, Cajuste, Burns, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, Akpom.
Referee Backhouse (from Cumbria).
Afcon 2025: Group A Scenarios
The situation is complex. That's often the case when some but not all third-placed teams qualify. This is the current state before tonight’s final round of games.
- Morocco 4pts, +2 goal difference
- Mali 2pts, GD0 (goals scored 2)
- The Copper Bullets 2 points, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
- The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference
Briefly, Morocco are probably fine but will want to beat Zambia to win their pool. Zambia likely requires a draw or better versus Morocco. The island nation likely must to beat Mali, who should advance if they get a point.
A host of potential results and permutations.
Angola v Egypt Update
The final act of Group B at this continental championship is being covered. If you don’t want to know the score, don’t click the link.
Second Tier Standings 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 |
