Cameroon Edge South Africa 2–1 to Reach AFCON Q/Finals

RABAT, Morocco — In a gripping AFCON2025 Round of 16 clash on Sunday, 4 January 2026, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 2–1 victory over South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the Al Medina Stadium. The result sends Cameroon into the last eight to face hosts Morocco later this week, while South Africa’s promising tournament run comes to an end. South Africa started with intensity, dominating early possession and fashioning several good chances. Relebohile Mofokeng threatened in the opening stages and Lyle Foster appeared to score, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. But it was Cameroon who struck first. In the 34th minute, Junior Tchamadeu reacted quickly inside the box to tap in after a rebound fell his way, giving the Indomitable Lions the lead against the run of play. Just minutes after the restart, Cameroon doubled their lead. Christian Kofane, the 19-year-old forward, climbed highest to head in a pinpoint cross from Mahamadou Nagida in the 47th minute, making it 2–0 and swinging momentum firmly in Cameroon’s favour. That goal underscored Cameroon’s efficiency, taking their opportunities with composure when presented, despite South Africa’s better start. South Africa refused to wilt. In the 88th minute, substitute Evidence Makgopa met a precise delivery from Aubrey Modiba to score a powerful close-range finish, pulling one back and igniting hopes of a late turnaround. But Cameroon’s defence and goalkeeper Devis Epassy stood firm in the closing moments, withstanding Bafana Bafana’s pressure to secure the 2–1 victory and progression. Cameroon’s victory keeps alive their hopes of continental glory and sets up a quarter-final showdown with Morocco, a match that promises to be one of the standout ties of the AFCON 2025 knockout rounds. For South Africa, it’s a bitter exit but one that provides valuable lessons as they look ahead to future tournaments and competitions.

Nigeria Set to Commence Gas Supply to South Africa by 2024

Nigeria, a significant player in the global energy sector, has announced plans to initiate gas supply to South Africa in the first quarter of 2024.  This development was revealed by David Ige, the Executive of Riverside LNG, a prominent Nigerian-based energy company, during a recent interview held in Abuja. Highlighting the growing collaboration between the two nations, Ige stated that substantial discussions on energy collaboration have been initiated.  Earlier this year, Riverside LNG solidified a gas-export partnership with Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG of Germany, indicating a broader expansion of its market reach. “We’d probably close out another segment of the market very early in the year, an off-take for South Africa,” Ige stated, pointing out the evolving gas market spanning approximately 3,000 nautical miles from Nigeria, covering southern Africa, western Africa, northwest Europe, the Caribbean, and South America. Nigeria, recognized for its vast energy resources, boasts 202 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of untapped proven gas reserves, as confirmed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

2023 AFCON: Thrilling weekend sees 14 nations book tickets

*Ten places still up for grabs The thrilling weekend of TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Qualifiers saw more African football giants’ countries book their place in the continent’s biggest event set to take place between 13 January and 11 February 2024. The qualification of most of the former African champions this past weekend is again another indication that the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 is likely to be one of the most successful events in the competition’s history. There are still qualifier matches to be played on Tuesday as part of the Match Day Five fixture block. Zambia produced possibly the weekend’s most polished performance in front of their home fans in Ndola to secure an emphatic 3-0 victory against tournament hosts and former African champions, Cote d’Ivoire. The results ensured that ‘Chilopopolo’, crowned champions in Gabon 2012, will return to Africa’s most-watched sports event after an eight-year absence. The week of the qualifiers started on a high note for another giant of African football, Egypt. The record-winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations confirmed their place in next year’s tournament following a 2-1 victory over Guinea in Marrakech on Wednesday. In another match, a stoppage-time goal was enough for Equatorial Guinea, who beat Tunisia 1-0 on Saturday to secure their ticket for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in a row and a third appearance. On Sunday, Cape Verde recorded an emphatic 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso to confirm their spot for Cote d’Ivoire. Two second-half goals ensured Mali triumphed with a 2-0 win against Congo at the Stade Alphonse Massamba-Debat in Brazzaville to cement their place for the AFCON finals early next year. Nigeria left it very late after a last-gasp winning goal saw them claim a 3-2 victory against Sierra Leone in Monrovia to add their name to the qualified nations for next year’s tournament. Nigeria’s win over Sierra Leone also confirmed Guinea Bissau’s fourth straight qualification for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, having won their match against São Tomé and Príncipe by a 1-0 score line on Wednesday. Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, African champions Senegal, FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, former Champions Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa and the ever-impressive Burkina Faso all booked their places in March 2023. The last round of qualifiers will be in September 2023. The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will kick off on 13 January 2024 and run until 11 February 2024. The event will take place in six different venues: Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara (56,000 seats) and Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny (28,000 seats), located in Abidjan. The remaining venues are Stade de Korhogo (20,000 seats), Stade de San Pedro (20,000 seats), Stade de Yamoussoukro (20,000 seats), and Stade de la Paix de Bouake (40,000 seats). Qualified Teams

S/African Johann Rupert overtakes Dangote as Africa’s richest man

South African Johann Rupert has displaced Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote to become Africa’s richest man, Forbes Magazine said. Rupert’s net worth is currently $12 billion according to Forbes Real-time Global Billionaires Ranking, while Dangote trails behind him with a net worth of $10.8 billion as of Friday. Dangote’s net worth dropped due to the recent operational charges on the foreign exchange market carried out by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which led to the depreciation of the Naira against the US dollar. Consequently, Forbes and Bloomberg had to recalculate the fortunes of all Nigerian billionaires leading to the significant drop in the wealth of Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, the founder of BUA cement, and Mike Adenuga, the Chairman of telecommunications giant Globacom Limited. Meanwhile, with the expected kickoff of the $20 billion Dangote refinery commissioned last Month, Aliko Dangote is expected to bounce back.