Liverpool 2 (Gravenberch 41, Wirtz 42) Wolves 1 (S Bueno 51)
Not for the first time under Rob Edwards, Wolves went away from home and felt they deserved something at Liverpool on Saturday, but came away narrowly beaten 2-1, reports Wolves FC.
A tight opening half, where the Old Gold held their own, was undone in three minutes, as Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz struck to put the home side in the driving seat.
Wolves rallied however, and when Santiago Bueno converted the rebound after Tolu Arokodare’s shot was parried, it was game on. The Old Gold pushed and had chances to earn a point, but the hosts held on to leave Wolves still winless.
For 41 of the 25 first-half minutes, Edwards will have been delighted with what he saw from his side at Anfield, but two quickfire Liverpool goals perhaps reminded him of the reason Wolves found themselves at the foot of the table at Christmas.
After 11 tight minutes, Liverpool did strike the first warning sign when Wirtz slipped him Hugo Ekitike through and he scuffed a shot between Yerson Mosquera and Santiago Bueno but watched the ball bounce back off the foot of the post.
Mateus Mane was handed his full Wolves debut on Merseyside, and he was the Old Gold’s biggest threat in the first-half. Having held off Curtis Jones, he fired a low effort which Alisson needed to get down low to save.
Jose Sa has returned to the side of last and he then brilliantly tipped Alexis Mac Allister’s shot on to the top, with Federico Chiesa in an offside position ahead of him, making it an even better save.
Image credit: Wolves FC
Mane was again a threat at the other end, however. When Arokodare showed good holdup play, Mane had space to run into, and after taking it on himself instead of returning the pass, the youngster rifled a shot just over the bar.
It was with five minutes of the half left when Liverpool took the lead. Jeremie Frimpong got round the outside of Hugo Bueno and when his low ball came in, Andre lost his footing, allowing Gravenberch to whip a low and clinical strike into the bottom corner.
Crucially for the game however, they weren’t done there, and straight after the restart it was two. Ekitike turned past Andre and Wolves were exposed. He slipped in Wirtz who stabbed under Sa to double his side’s lead.
Half-time | Liverpool 2-0 Wolves
While the first half ended disastrously, Wolves didn’t buckle and within seven minutes of the restart they were back in the game. Andre’s corner was on the money for Arokodare, and although Alisson parried the first header, Santiago Bueno was on hand to knock the rebound into the open net.
The second half from there was on a knife edge. Mac Allister fizzed a low shot wide for the hosts, before Mane passed up options to feed either striker, with Jorgen Strand Larsen now on, and saw his effort saved low by Alisson.
The best chance arrived when Joao Gomes found Jackson Tchatchoua on the right and his cross found an unmarked Arokodare in the middle, but he couldn’t keep his header on target.
Jhon Arias also thought he was set to equaliser, when eyeing up Strand Larsen’s low cross, but Conor Bradley crucially slid in to clear within the six-yard box. Wolves pushed until the final kick, but couldn’t find the quality to earn what would have been a deserved point on Merseyside.
Full-time | Liverpool 2-1 Wolves
Liverpool | Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Chiesa (Bradley 61), Wirtz (Nyoni 90), Ekitike (Gakpo 86).
Raúl Jiménez’s late header earned Fulham a third successive Premier League victory on Saturday afternoon, reports Geoff Pruce for Fulham FC.
The meeting with West Ham United at their London Stadium was a hard fought battle, one that was nervy at times, but the Whites had enough about them to get over the line.
Five minutes before the death, Harry Wilson capitalised on a defensive mistake to set up Raúl for his second goal of the week, efforts which have earned six points for his side.
Marco Silva named an unchanged XI to the one that beat Nottingham Forest at the start of the week, with Wilson declared fit after injuring his knee in that game.
After a possession-laden opening spell from Fulham, we fashioned the first opening on six minutes when a smart Raúl turn presented him with a shooting chance, but he bent off target.
Seconds later, Wilson tested the agility of Alphonse Areola from the edge of the box, and the goalkeeper showed why he’s a former Fulham Player of the Season winner with a fine fingertip save.
Image credit: Fulham FC
West Ham responded with a couple of corners, keeping the pressure on when Jarrod Bowen was slid in – the England man drawing a firm-handed save from Bernd Leno at his near post.
Some nice movement from the Irons in the final third 25 minutes in culminated in Crysencio Summerville clipping a cross over to the unmarked Ollie Scarles, but the left-back sent his header wide.
Buoyed by that opening, they went closer soon after as Summerville’s shot deflected through a host of white shirts in the box, narrowly evading a decisive touch by Soungoutou Magassa for what would have been a tap-in at the back stick.
At the other end, excellent hold-up play from Raúl presented a sighter of goal for Kevin, but he was quickly swarmed and his shot lacked the power to trouble Areola.
Areola was then surprised by Joachim Andersen, making an unorthodox save with his legs to keep out his former teammate’s dipping strike from the best part of 35 yards. Wilson got to the loose ball first but put it wide according to the officials, though it looked like a claret toe may have had the final touch.
Intricate play down the right five minutes before the break ended with Saša Lukić making a cross into the path of Emile Smith Rowe, but he couldn’t get over his header and cleared the crossbar.
The opener looked certain to come Fulham’s way eight minutes into the second half when Wilson got the better of Scarles to break into the area, but his cutback could not be converted by Lukić or Kevin.
Image credit: Fulham FC
Shortly after the hour mark, Antonee Robinson spotted the forward run of Lukić and picked him out with a perfect cross, but the midfielder couldn’t quite direct his header inside of the upright.
West Ham had an even better chance moments later when Magassa’s pass found Bowen in the box, only for the England man to flick his first time effort wide.
The hosts had looked more of a threat since introducing a focal point up front in the guise of Callum Wilson, and with 20 minutes to play it was hearts in mouths as he managed to roll off the shoulder of Jorge Cuenca to open the pitch up for himself, only to pull his low strike wide.
Josh King had also come off the bench for Fulham and he had a sweetly hit half volley bravely blocked, before skinning his man and delivering a wicked ball across the face that was hacked away before anyone in white could convert.
Areola was called upon again on 84 minutes when Raúl got on the end of a delicious Robinson delivery, making himself big to save at his near post.
Raúl came out on top of that personal battle a mere 54 seconds later, though. Wilson capitalised on Scarles fluffing his clearance by looping a ball into the box for Raúl to power home.
The low-incident nature of the second half meant Fulham only had four minutes of added time to see out, something the lads did professionally to make it a hat-trick of top flight victories.
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi reflected on his side’s mindset ahead of the clash. “There is no pressure on us — none at all. We didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but we are ready for this tournament. This competition is another opportunity to put things right. The players are ready, the team is ready, the manager is ready, and everyone around the group is fully prepared. What we went through during the World Cup qualifiers was painful — exiting in that way hurt. But now we are focused. This tournament gives us a real opportunity to achieve something, and we are determined to make the most of it.”
He added: “We know we are here to represent everyone — all Nigerians, wherever they are in the world — and we are grateful for that support. We understand the passion on the other side. We know how football can influence the mood of the nation. When we win, people are happy. We are aware of that responsibility because we grew up in that environment. For now, we are focusing only on the positives, because that is the mindset we want to maintain.”
Tunisian defender Montassar Talbi stressed the importance of discipline and focus. “When we play against big teams, we give our best. We have already played against strong opponents and we performed well. To win this game, we need to trust ourselves and give everything we have. Everyone in the group must stay united and continue working as if this is our first game. We must protect our discipline, our concentration, and always give our best.”
What was said
Eric Chelle – Nigeria head coach:
“Tunisia are a big team with a strong playing identity and a solid World Cup qualifying campaign behind them. They play good football and started this tournament very well. But we have a good team too, and we are improving with every match. In my mind, we may either let Tunisia have the ball and play directly when we recover it, or continue with our philosophy. There is no pressure on us — this tournament is an opportunity to correct what went wrong before and continue building our identity.”
Sami Trabelsi – Tunisia head coach:
“Yes, in the last game there was no real expression. When we play with only organised offense and defense, it decreases the performance of some players. Nigeria are strong offensively and defensively. All players will be involved, not only defenders. We focus only on the field; social media or past results will not affect us. Hazem is fit and doing better in training. There is no national team without weak points, and we have studied Nigeria’s. To go far, we must beat big teams.”
Historical context
Nigeria and Tunisia have a long-standing rivalry, having met 21 times in all competitions. Of those encounters, Nigeria has claimed five victories, Tunisia six, while 10 matches ended in draws. In AFCON finals, Nigeria holds a slight edge with three wins to Tunisia’s one, and two matches were decided on penalties. Their last meeting came in the 2021 round of 16, when Tunisia edged Nigeria 1-0 thanks to a Youssef Msakni strike. Tunisia have enjoyed recent success in second-group stage matches, winning three and drawing two of their last five, while Ellyes Skhiri marked a milestone by scoring Tunisia’s 100th goal in AFCON history last time out.
Key statistics and key-stars
Nigeria enter Friday’s clash unbeaten in their last seven AFCON group matches and have found the net in 13 of their last 14 tournament games, highlighting their attacking consistency. Tunisia, meanwhile, are building momentum and confidence after a strong start in Morocco 2025. Among Nigeria’s key players, forward Ademola Lookman has been in fine form during AFCON qualifiers and is expected to play a crucial role in attack, offering pace, creativity, and the potential for decisive assists. Both sides will be keen to assert themselves in this high-stakes Group C encounter, with victory likely to bring them closer to securing a place in the knockout rounds.
Nottingham Forest slipped to a narrow defeat against Manchester City at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, reports Nottingham Forest FC.
After Omari Hutchinson brought the Reds level following Tijjani Reijnders’ opener, Rayan Cherki netted the winner inside the final 10 minutes.
Sean Dyche’s side are back in action on Tuesday when Everton make the trip to Trentside.
Forest were first to flex their muscles when both Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White were inches away from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s in-swinging cross on eight minutes, with the ball drifting out of play for a goal kick.
The visitors struggled to break down a resilient Forest rearguard, while the Reds looked threatening on the counter-attack, with Jesus leading the line well against Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol.
Image credit: Nottingham Forest FC
Clear-cut chances remained few in number, but Forest continued to find space out wide, only to be met with resistance from Pep Guardiola’s defence.
The half-time whistle brought the opening 45 minutes to a close with the scoreline remaining goalless.
Half-time: Forest 0-0 Manchester City
The away side took the lead early in the second half through Reijnders.
John Victor produced a fine save shortly afterwards to deny Rayan Cherki following a maze run, a stop that proved crucial as Forest levelled the scores on 55 minutes.
Hudson-Odoi picked out Jesus on the left flank, who in turn teed up Hutchinson to slide home his first goal in Garibaldi Red.
Image credit: Nottingham Forest FC
Forest’s tails were up and the pressure on Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal began to mount. Neco Williams was denied from the edge of the box by the Italy international before Nicolò Savona fired over from an acute angle on the rebound.
At the other end, John Victor did well to parry a powerful Phil Foden effort as the contest entered its final 15 minutes.
City regained the lead with seven minutes remaining as Cherki fired home a powerful strike from just outside the Forest penalty area to complete the scoring on Trentside.
Forest return to action in just three days’ time, with Everton the visitors to the City Ground.
TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group C
Image credit: CAFonline
Winners in their opening matches, Nigeria and Tunisia will be aiming to secure qualification to the knockout stage when they meet in their second Group C fixture at the Complexe Sportif de Fes in Fes. Kick-off is at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).
Nigeria enter the match following a 2–1 victory over Tanzania, while Tunisia began their campaign with a 3–1 win against Uganda.
The first meeting between the two sides dates back to 1961, when they contested a two-legged tie in qualifying for the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria won the home leg 2–1, but in the return match in Tunisia, Nigeria walked off the pitch in protest with the score at 2–2. Tunisia were awarded a 2–0 victory, qualifying on a 3–2 aggregate score.
Nigeria and Tunisia have met in qualifying for four different FIFA World Cup tournaments: 1978, 1982, 1986 and 2010.
In qualification for the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria and Tunisia met in the final round of qualifying as part of a three-team round-robin group that also included Egypt. Tunisia were held to a 0–0 draw by Nigeria at home before defeating the Super Eagles 1–0 in Lagos to top the group and qualify for the World Cup.
During qualification for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Tunisia and Nigeria met in the first round, with both sides winning their home matches 2–0. Nigeria won the tie via a 4–3 penalty shootout, although neither side qualified for the finals in Spain.
In qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the teams met in a two-legged third-round tie. Nigeria won 1–0 at home, while Tunisia won 2–0 in Tunis to advance 2–1 on aggregate to the final qualifying round, although they failed to qualify for the tournament.
After meeting in qualifying for three consecutive FIFA World Cups (1978, 1982 and 1986), Tunisia and Nigeria were again drawn together in the third round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which also served as qualification for the 2010 AFCON.
Nigeria topped the group and secured World Cup qualification after two draws: 0–0 in Tunisia and 2–2 in Nigeria. Tunisia finished one point behind Nigeria in second place and qualified for the 2010 AFCON.
Nigeria and Tunisia have met six times previously at the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Nigeria have recorded three wins to Tunisia’s one, with two matches ending level in 2004 and 2006, both decided by penalty shoot-outs, one win apiece.
They first met at the AFCON finals in 1978, contesting the third-place play-off. Nigeria were awarded a 2–0 victory after Tunisia walked off the field with the score at 1–1.
The sides met again in the opening group match of the 2000 AFCON, with Nigeria winning 4–2, although both teams progressed from the group stage. Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi featured for Tunisia in that Group D match in Lagos on 23 January 2000.
As hosts in 2004, Tunisia met Nigeria in the semi-finals. Jay-Jay Okocha scored for Nigeria before Khaled Badra equalised for Tunisia. The match ended 1–1, with Tunisia winning 5–3 on penalties.
In 2006, the teams met in the quarter-finals. Victor Obinna scored for Nigeria and Karim Haggui equalised for Tunisia in a 1–1 draw, before Nigeria won 6–5 on penalties.
They met in the third-place play-off at the 2019 AFCON, with Nigeria winning 1–0 thanks to an early goal from Odion Ighalo.
Their most recent meeting came at the 2021 AFCON, where Tunisia won a Round of 16 encounter 1–0, with Youssef Msakni scoring the only goal in the 47th minute.
· They have now opened an AFCON finals campaign with a win for the 14th time.
· Nigeria are unbeaten in their last seven AFCON group matches (W6 D1); their last group-stage defeat was against Madagascar in 2019.
· They have won their last three AFCON group matches, all by a single-goal margin.
· Nigeria last began an AFCON with successive wins in 2021 and also won their opening two matches in 2019.
· They have lost just one of their last 15 group-stage matches at AFCON, a 2–0 defeat to Madagascar in 2019.
· Nigeria have scored in their last seven AFCON group matches.
· They have failed to score in only two of their last 26 AFCON matches: against Madagascar in 2019 and against Tunisia in the 2021 Round of 16.
· Semi Ajayi scored his first AFCON goal against Tanzania in his 10th appearance at the finals.
· Ademola Lookman scored the winning goal against Tanzania, his fourth at AFCON.
· Lookman’s strike from outside the penalty area made him the first Nigerian to score from range at AFCON since Emmanuel Emenike in the 2013 semi-final against Mali.
· Alex Iwobi recorded two assists against Tanzania, his first assists at AFCON in his 19th appearance.
· Iwobi has now created 18 chances at AFCON.
· Victor Osimhen attempted seven shots against Tanzania, the most by a Nigerian in an AFCON match since Victor Obinna against Algeria in the 2010 third-place match.
· Six of Nigeria’s last eight group-stage wins at AFCON have been by a single goal, including five 1–0 victories.
· Nigeria have scored in 13 of their last 14 AFCON matches.
· They completed 451 of 501 passes against Tanzania.
· Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey each completed 71 passes, the most in the match.
· Nigeria registered 11 shots on target against Tanzania, with Osimhen recording the most (3).
· Samuel Chukwueze attempted 10 dribbles against Tanzania, completing six successfully.
Tunisia – Key Statistics
· Tunisia began with a 3–1 victory over Uganda.
· Ellyes Skhiri scored Tunisia’s opening goal, which was their 100th at AFCON finals.
· Tunisia became the sixth nation to score 100 goals at AFCON, with Algeria later becoming the seventh.
· Skhiri’s goal after 10 minutes means only Egypt (22) and Nigeria (16) have scored more AFCON goals than Tunisia (12) inside the opening 10 minutes of matches.
· It was the first time Tunisia had scored in the first 10 minutes of their tournament opener since Issam Jemâa against Senegal in 2008.
· Skhiri scored his first AFCON goal in his 16th appearance at the finals.
· His header was Tunisia’s first headed goal at AFCON since Ahmed Akaïchi against Equatorial Guinea in 2015.
· Elias Achouri scored the fourth and fifth goals of his international career.
· Achouri became the first Tunisian to score twice in an AFCON match since Wahbi Khazri against Mauritania in 2021.
· The win over Uganda ended a four-match winless run at AFCON for Tunisia (D2 L2).
· It also ended a four-match winless run in AFCON group-stage matches, their previous win coming against Mauritania in 2021.
· Tunisia won their opening match at AFCON for the first time since 2013, having failed to do so in their previous five tournament openers.
· They have only started an AFCON with two consecutive wins on three previous occasions: 2004, 2006 and 2012.
· Tunisia last opened with successive wins at AFCON in 2012, defeating Morocco and Niger 2–1.
· Tunisia are unbeaten in their second group match in each of their last five AFCON appearances (W3 D2).
· They last lost their second group match in 2013, a 3–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire.
· That defeat is their only loss in the same group match across their last 11 AFCON appearances (W8 D2).
· The last time Tunisia won their opening match and failed to progress to the knockout stage was in 2013.
· Hannibal Mejbri, who assisted Tunisia’s opening goal against Uganda, created four chances, the most in the match.
· Montassar Talbi attempted the most passes (51) and completed the most (48) against Uganda.
TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group D
Two nations still searching for their first win at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Benin and Botswana meet in their second Group D fixtures at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympique Annexe in Rabat on 27 December. Kick-off is at 13h30 local time (12h30 GMT), reports CAFonline.
Benin opened their campaign with a defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo and are now winless in 15 matches at AFCON finals.
Botswana Image credit: CAFonline
Botswana suffered a 3–0 loss to Senegal in their opening match and have lost all four of their AFCON games to date.
Botswana will be looking to avoid becoming the second nation, after Benin, to lose their first five matches at AFCON finals. Benin previously lost their first six matches at the tournament.
This is the first-ever meeting between Benin and Botswana.
All of Botswana’s AFCON matches have been against West African opposition, with Benin becoming the fifth West African side they have faced at the finals.
Botswana are the 14th different team Benin have faced at AFCON in what is their 16th match at the tournament. Nigeria are the only team Benin have faced more than once at AFCON.
None – first AFCON meeting between Benin and Botswana.
Benin – Key Statistics
· Benin lost their opening match against DR Congo, their 10th defeat in 15 AFCON matches.
· The goal conceded against DR Congo was the 25th Benin have allowed at AFCON finals.
· Benin are only the second team, after Mozambique (16), to fail to win any of their first 15 AFCON matches.
· Appearing at their sixth AFCON, Benin have now lost their opening match for the fourth time.
· Prior to the defeat against DR Congo, Benin had drawn their opening matches in 2010 and 2019, both ending 2–2 against Mozambique and Ghana respectively.
· They were on a three-match unbeaten run in AFCON group games before losing to DR Congo, having drawn all three group matches at the previous edition.
· In 16 AFCON matches, Benin have kept only two clean sheets, both coming in 2019 with successive 0–0 group-stage draws against Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon.
· Benin have started an AFCON with defeats in their first two matches on two previous occasions: in 2004 (against South Africa and Morocco) and in 2008 (against Mali and Côte d’Ivoire).
· Their overall record in second group matches shows three defeats, all against Nigeria in 2004, 2008 and 2010, and one draw in 2019.
· Failure to score would see Benin fail to score in their opening two matches for only the second time, after 2004. In their other three AFCON appearances, they have scored at least once in their first two matches.
· This is Benin’s third AFCON match against Southern African opposition: they lost 2–0 to South Africa in 2004 and drew 2–2 with Mozambique in 2010.
· Benin surrendered a 2–0 lead to draw 2–2 with Mozambique in the 2010 tournament.
· They dominated possession against DR Congo with 60%.
· The 60% possession recorded against DR Congo is the highest Benin have had in a single AFCON match.
· Benin completed 380 passes against DR Congo, while their opponents completed 224.
· Olivier Verdon registered 98 touches, attempted 89 passes and completed 77, all the most in the match.
· Richard Mounié completed five successful dribbles against DR Congo, the most in the game, and also won the most duels (10).
Botswana – Key Statistics
· Botswana began with a 3–0 defeat to Senegal.
· Botswana have lost all four of their AFCON matches.
· Defeat in this match would see Botswana become the second team, after Benin, to lose their first five AFCON matches.
· They failed to register a shot on target against Senegal, the first time this has happened to them in an AFCON match.
· Botswana faced 17 shots on target against Senegal.
· Goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko made 14 saves against Senegal, the most by a goalkeeper on record in an AFCON match.
· The 17 shots on target faced by Botswana is the most any team has faced in an AFCON match since at least 2010.
· Mosha Gaolaolwe completed 30 passes against Senegal, the most by any Botswana outfield player in the match.
· All of Botswana’s AFCON matches have produced a winner; they have yet to be involved in a draw at the tournament.
· Botswana are yet to keep a clean sheet at AFCON finals.
Senegal will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in a highly anticipated clash
Uganda take on Tanzania in an exciting encounter
Tunisia lock horns with Nigeria in the final match of the day
Benin 1-0 Botswana
Goalscorer: Yohan Roche (28’)
Yohan Roche’s first-half strike proved decisive as Benin reignited their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 Round of 16 qualification hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Botswana in Rabat, reports CAFonline.
This was Benin’s first ever victory at the AFCON. The result not only penned a brilliant chapter in their history, but also saw Gernot Rohr’s men respond positively after their opening-day defeat to DR Congo.
Meanwhile, Botswana’s ambitions of a first-ever progression to the knockout stage suffered a major setback following a second consecutive loss.
Benin made a purposeful start and were briefly celebrating inside the opening quarter of an hour before Aiyegun Tosin’s effort was ruled out for offside. Their persistence was eventually rewarded in the 28th minute when Roche found the breakthrough.
The left-back finished off a pass from captain Steve Mounié, his effort taking a decisive deflection off a defender before beating goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.
Botswana came close to restoring parity seven minutes before the interval, but Mothusi Johnson’s superb free-kick crashed against the crossbar.
After the restart, Benin looked to put the contest beyond doubt. Tamimou Ouorou went close on two occasions, first forcing Phoko into a full-stretch save from distance before seeing another deflected effort well gathered by the Botswana goalkeeper.
Botswana pushed forward in the closing stages in search of a lifeline, but lacked the cutting edge required to trouble the Beninese defence.
The Zebras will conclude their Group D campaign against DR Congo in Rabat on Tuesday, while Benin face former champions Senegal in Tangier on the same day, knowing that a positive result could secure their place in the knockout phase.
REACTIONS:
Gernot Rohr, Benin coach:
“This victory is important to us because it gives us a chance to qualify for the next round. We proved today that we have progressed defensively. We didn’t concede many opportunities and we recovered well, especially on the offense.
I am happy for Yohan Roche who laughed at his mistake in the first match and who has just been elected Man of the match.
Morena Ramoreboli – Botswana Coach
“In the first 45 minutes, we got one opportunity which I think we should have buried and unfortunately from very same opportunity, we conceded the other side. The sad part about this game is that we were creating in the first half but in the second half after we tried to get more possession, we were doing that but we did not really get that penetration or create more opportunities.
It is unfortunate that this is a game of football that works on who scored more goals and who made more mistakes and in this situation we made one mistake which resulted in us conceding a goal.
When you look at them, they played all match with just one corner kick and that simply means they were not really giving us problems in terms of how they wanted to attack us. The worst part is that their defender is man of the match and that simply says, as much as he is the one who scored a goal, they were defending and defending well and unfortunately we are on the losing end today”
Yohan Roche MOTM
“It is a source of immense pride. We were aware of the people’s expectations, and we managed to stay focused to secure the win. This goal is particularly touching for me, especially after the difficulties of the first match. It was an immense joy to score the winning goal for Benin in front of my family, who are here in Morocco.
So proud to have scored this winning goal! 🇧🇯 It was a tough match against a solid Botswana team, but we did what was necessary. Happy to have contributed to this historic first victory in the Africa Cup. We keep going together! ”
Drew McIntyre announces Three Stages of Hell Match
Drew McIntyre revealed that he will challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match on the Jan. 9 episode of SmackDown in Berlin. Plus, Carmelo Hayes became the new United States Champion after dethroning Ilja Dragunov, Joe Hendry took down The Miz in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight and much more!
SmackDown Results : Full Details
The Miz ruins Joe Hendry’s Christmas Spectacular
Joe Hendry defeats The Miz in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight
After The Miz ruined Joe Hendry’s Christmas Spectacular, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis changed the scheduled match between Joe Hendry and The Miz into a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
Hendry and Miz brought all the holiday weapons, including a tiny violin and a small pair of ornaments.
Eventually, Hendry battered The A-Lister with a Christmas tree before connecting with a huge fallaway slam.
On the outside, an elf-costumed Akira Tozawa tried to give some holiday cookies to The Awesome One, but this enraged The Miz, who blasted Tozawa in the face with a big boot.
Hendry gifted Miz some candy cane Kendo stick strikes before sending him back into the ring.
Tozawa, Hendry, a Christmas-outfitted Otis and an Easter Bunny surrounded Miz, taking turns beating down The A-Lister.
The Easter Bunny was revealed to be R-Truth, who hit a Five Knuckle Shuffle on his former tag team partner.
Hendry nailed a Standing Ovation through a table to win the match.
Charlotte Flair defeats Lash Legend
After defeating Alexa Bliss a few weeks ago, Lash Legend took on Charlotte Flair.
Flair nailed a moonsault, but Legend kicked out after Flair used an unorthodox cover.
Bliss attacked Nia Jax on the outside after Jax attempted to interfere in the match.
This distracted Legend, as The Queen rolled her up to win.
Carmelo Hayes defeats Ilja Dragunov to win the United States Title
Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov again battled after their clash from a few weeks ago ended in a no-contest when Solo Sikoa and The MFTs invaded the bout.
Dragunov went for the H-Bomb, but Hayes connected with a huge enzuigiri before nailing a flying DDT.
The Mad Dragon blasted Hayes with the Constantine Special and an enormous senton.
Hayes countered a superplex from Dragunov into an awesome cutter, but The Mad Dragon kicked out as the WWE Universe erupted into a “this is awesome” chant.
Dragunov looked to end the match when he destroyed Hayes with a death valley driver onto the apron.
Hayes somehow connected with the First 48 before executing Nothing But Net to win the United States Title.
Giulia & Kiana James defeat Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre
Still attempting to reclaim the Women’s United States Title, Giulia teamed with her agent Kiana James to battle U.S. Champion Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre.
Green tried to evade Giulia, but once The Beautiful Madness was tagged, Giulia took apart Green.
Giulia soon nailed Arrivederci on Green to win the match.
Drew McIntyre announces he will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title in a Three Stages of Hell Match
Zambia and Comoros share the spoils, Salah leads Egypt to victory over South Africa and qualification for the knockout stage
Image credit: CAFonline
-Mali hold Morocco in Rabat
-Zambia and Comoros share the spoils in a goalless draw (0–0) -Egypt become the first team to qualify for the knockout stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 -Angola and Zimbabwe draw 1–1 in Marrakech
Morocco and Mali played out a 1–1 draw in a tightly contested Group A match of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in Rabat, leaving qualification for the Round of 16 to be decided on the last day, reports CAFonline.
Just as they had done in their opening game, the Atlas Lions dominated possession in the opening half. However, they found it difficult to break in early against a disciplined Malian side, well organized and compact across the lines.
Walid Regragui’s men probed patiently and were eventually rewarded in stoppage time. Following a VAR review on a handball, Morocco was awarded a penalty, which Brahim Díaz calmly converted to give the hosts a narrow advantage at the break.
Mali emerged from the break with renewed belief and were quickly back on level terms in similar kind as did Morocco in finding the opener.
Just past the hour mark, Lassina Sinayoko was brought down inside the penalty area and took responsibility on the resulting spotkick, expertly tucking it away to draw his side level.
Image credit: CAFonline
The remainder of the contest saw Morocco push forward in search of a decisive goal, increasing the tempo and introducing fresh attacking options. Despite sustained pressure, the Atlas Lions were unable to break through a resilient Malian backline.
Morocco will face Zambia, while Mali takes on Comoros in the final round of matches in the group, with qualification for the knockout phase still firmly within reach for both teams.
REACTIONS:
MOM: Neil El Aynaoui – Morrocco
“I have not really reflected on this award because of the outcome of this match, but I do appreciate the award and look forward to the next match. We should quickly move on. We didn’t perform well in managing our lead and we need to move on. We have been trying to build a strong squad for the past two years, so we need to be patient and find a solution. The focus now moves to our last match which we aim to win”
Tom Saintfiet – Mali Coach
“We took two to three hours in analyzing the Moroccan team. They first played well and after a few substitutes, we had the opportunity to deal with their transition. The first 10 minutes of the second half, we had good opportunities. Morocco had good attacks but we are fortunate to have quality and experienced players who know how to deal with such attacks. I am satisfied with my team’s performance. We will work towards instilling more confidence and prepare accordingly for the next match because we need a victory”
Walid Regragui – Morocco Coach
“We played a good match which was very intense. We needed to kill off the match while we had time. Congratulations to Mali for obtaining a point. We should not give up. Conceding a penalty is part of football and we should not despair. It is part of football.
To win AFCON is a long journey. We have the certainty that we played well. Yes, we did not get the result we aimed for, but we did not lose either. We are confident and that is crucial for us going into the last group match.
Zambia 0–0 Comoros
Zambia and Comoros settled for a 0–0 draw on Friday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, in their second Group A fixture of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The encounter was played with great intensity but goals were the only thing missing in a fiercely contested match.
Following this draw, Zambia move up to two points, keeping their qualification hopes fully intact heading into the third and final round of group matches. Comoros, meanwhile collect their first point of the tournament, leaving their chances of reaching the knockout stage alive going into the last match day.
Image credit: CAFonline
Comoros came close to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute when Mzean Maoulida found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review after a foul was committed in the build-up.
Comoros continued to push forward during the first half, but were unable to find a way past a well-organized Zambian defence.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with both sides searching for the opening goal without success. Despite enjoying large spells of possession and control, Comoros failed to make their dominance count in front of goal.
The match ended as it began, goalless at 0–0, leaving a sense of frustration for the Comoros players, who came closest to scoring but were undone by rushed finishing and lapses in concentration.
Both teams will now look to secure their first victory of the group stage in the final round of matches, with Comoros set to face Mali, while Zambia will take on tournament hosts Morocco.
REACTIONS:
Youssouf Zaidou – Midfielder (Comoros) – TotalEnergies Man of the Match
We were looking to score a goal against Zambia, and unfortunately the goal we scored was not awarded. We lost concentration, and it was important for us to get the win. We still have one match left in the group stage, so we will rest and then prepare for it. Winning this award does not reduce my disappointment at missing out on victory. This award is a collective one and belongs to all the players who contributed to it.
Stefano Cusin – Head Coach, Comoros
It was a difficult match. We played well and could have changed the result. We faced some difficulty in controlling the ball and lacked attacking efficiency in the final phase. Overall, we delivered a good performance and were only missing the ability to score, so I am satisfied with my players’ display. We are still on the right path in this tournament. We lost to Morocco, drew against Zambia, and still have a match ahead against Mali. I believe our chances are still alive. We will play with the same strength we are known for. We must win the final match and reach four points, which would allow us to continue in the tournament.
Moses Sichone – Head Coach, Zambia
It was not easy against the Comoros team, and we did not expect things to unfold this way, but that is football. We are satisfied with the point we earned from the draw. Unfortunately, we did not play as we had expected, and we faced some difficulties. Our final match against Morocco will not be easy, as we will face the host nation, which has prepared well for the tournament and will be backed by a large crowd.
Egypt 1–0 South Africa
Goal: Salah 45’
Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty proved decisive as Egypt secured qualification for the knockout stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa at the Grand Stade d’Agadir this Friday.
The match unfolded as a tense and evenly balanced contest, with both sides cautious in possession and clear chances at a premium.
The breakthrough arrived on the stroke of half-time following a VAR review, which saw the referee award Egypt a penalty after Khuliso Mudau was judged to have fouled Mohamed Salah inside the area. The Egyptian captain remained composed, converting confidently down the middle to claim his second goal of the tournament.
Moments later, the complexion of the game changed dramatically. Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge shortly after the restart, leaving the Pharaohs to defend their slender advantage with ten men for the entire second half.
South Africa responded by taking control of possession and pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Hugo Broos’s side applied sustained pressure but found it difficult to break down a disciplined Egyptian defence marshaled by Yasser Ibrahim, with goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy producing a calm and assured performance.
Image credit: CAFonline
Late drama followed in stoppage time when South Africa appealed for a penalty after a shot appeared to strike Yasser Ibrahim’s arm inside the area. After a VAR review, the referee upheld his original decision.
The result moves Egypt to six points in Group B, confirming their place in the Round of 16 with a match to spare. South Africa remain in contention, but must now win their final group fixture to guarantee progression.
Egypt will conclude their group campaign against Angola on Monday, while South Africa face a decisive Southern African derby against Zimbabwe at the Marrakesh Stadium.
Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe
Image credit: CAFonline
Goalscorers : G.Dala 26′ / K. Musona 45+6
Angola and Zimbabwe have played out a 1–1 draw in their Group B encounter at the Stade de Marrakech this Friday, leaving both sides still searching for their first victory in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. In a competitive clash where both defences were tested, it was Angola who struck first, only for Zimbabwe to respond late in the first half to ensure the points were shared.
Angola and Zimbabwe have played out a 1–1 draw in their Group B encounter at the Stade de Marrakech this Friday, leaving both sides still searching for their first victory in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. In a competitive clash where both defences were tested, it was Angola who struck first, only for Zimbabwe to respond late in the first half to ensure the points were shared.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute, when Angola opened the scoring through a well-worked move. Gelson Dala finished with composure, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner after a precise through ball from Tó Carneiro split the Zimbabwe defence. The goal was a reward for Angola’s early pressure and attacking intent, sparking celebrations among their supporters.
Zimbabwe gradually grew into the game and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. In the 45+6th minute, Knowledge Musona capitalised on a fast break, firing a composed right-footed finish from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner to level the scores, with Bill Antonio providing the decisive assist.
From the restart, Angola dominated possession and territory, creating multiple opportunities and keeping Zimbabwe under constant pressure. Despite their dominance, they were unable to find a winner, while Zimbabwe remained dangerous on the counter and created chances that could have seen them snatch a late victory. Even after four minutes of additional time, the score remained unchanged, and the match ended in a stalemate.
With the draw, both Angola and Zimbabwe remain without a win in AFCON 2025. Their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages now hinge on strong performances in their remaining group matches, as they look to build on this performance and secure vital points in the race for qualification.
Continental Classic Semifinals Set, New Matches for Worlds End, More
Merry Christmas! We hope you’ve enjoyed the holiday with friends, family, and fellow sickos! We were thrilled to bring AEW Christmas Collision to you on TNT and streaming on HBO Max from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York! We’re just two days from AEW Worlds End in Chicago, and so much more took shape ahead of that epic event, including learning the semifinal matchups in the Continental Classic.
With a six-way tie in the Gold League, our night began with “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher defeating “Jungle” Jack Perry to get to nine points, which wound up being enough to clinch the C2 semifinals this Saturday at Worlds End. He’ll be joined by the defending Continental Classic Champion, “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada, who also got to nine points with his win over “Speedball” Mike Bailey in the main event. “The Jet” Kevin Knight and “The Bastard” PAC wrestled to a time-limit draw, leaving them both short with seven points.
The Blue League had one spot available after IWGP World Heavyweight Champion “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita clinched last night on AEW Dynamite on 34th Street. He finished his final Blue League match with a win over Máscara Dorada to get to 13 points with a 5-0-1 record. Roderick Strong got his first win in his last match of the tournament and played spoiler to Claudio Castagnoli, who wound up in third with seven points. Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy for his third straight win to clinch the other spot in the Blue League.
That sets the stage for the Continental Classic Semifinals and Finals at Worlds End. Blue League Winner Konosuke Takeshita takes on Gold League Runner-Up Kazuchika Okada, and Gold League Winner Kyle Fletcher faces Blue League Runner-Up Jon Moxley. The winners of those two matches will meet in the finals later in the night to crown the 2025 Continental Classic Champion!
Elsewhere, Darby Allin got some revenge of his own on Gabe Kidd and accepted Kidd’s challenge for Worlds End! Plus,the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, The Babes of Wrath, took care of Maya World and Hyan in a non-title tag team match and taught us all about Christmas, and much more!
Here’s everything that happened on AEW Christmas Collision in New York, New York, for December 25, 2025, including your full results and match recaps.
AEW Christmas Collision Recap Tonight for New York
Continental Classic Gold League: “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher (9 points) defeats “Jungle” Jack Perry (6 points)
The night began with a first-time matchup of two of AEW’s brightest stars. The Hammerstein Ballroom crowd actually seemed split in their support in the early going, especially as Perry and Fletcher were feeling each other out. Fletcher took advantage of Perry’s ankle injury and put a target on the joint to ground Perry. Fletcher continued to stomp away on the ankle while working in some submissions to do further damage. Perry showed fight with some chops and then took Fletcher over the top to the floor with a headscissors! He tried it again off the apron, but Fletcher caught Perry and powerbombed him on the corner of the ring! Fletcher went for a brainbuster to end it early, so Perry bit him to get out of it! An angry Fletcher slammed Perry ankle-first into the top rope. He trapped Perry near the ring post and tore off his boot and sock before stomping on the exposed leg!
After the medical team examined Perry, he was able to continue, although Fletcher did nothing to let up and began taunting Perry to hit him. Perry’s strikes didn’t have much effect until a desperation dropkick. Perry tried to escape getting run into the corner, but landed awkwardly on a flip. Fletcher tried to pounce, but Perry fought out and floored Fletcher with a clothesline! Fletcher bailed to the outside, so Perry chased after him through the ropes and nailed Fletcher with a bulldog. Perry tried another dive, but Fletcher caught him and hit a brainbuster on the floor! Fletcher brought Perry back in for a Michinoku Driver and seemed to have it locked up, but Perry kicked out! Fletcher nailed a big boot in the corner and put Perry on the top rope. However, Perry fought Fletcher off and nailed a sunset flip powerbomb! Perry went for his running knee, only for Fletcher to block it and lock on a single-leg crab with five minutes remaining! Perry battled out of that and locked Fletcher in the Snare-trap! Fletcher nearly passed out, but made it to the ropes to break the hold in the nick of time.
The two fought back to their feet with a strike battle until Fletcher nailed Perry with a half-and-half suplex and a running knee on the ropes. Perry escaped a powerbomb with a hurricanrana that spiked Fletcher on his head! Perry muscled Fletcher up for a piledriver and nailed it, but Fletcher kicked out with less than two minutes remaining. Fletcher and Perry traded near-falls until Fletcher laid Perry out with a clothesline. He put Perry on top, but Perry kicked Fletcher off long enough to stand up. With less than a minute to go, Fletcher came back with a running boot to knock Perry back to the mat and followed with another with Perry up against the corner. He quickly grabbed Perry for a brainbuster and nailed it to get the pinfall before the time limit! Fletcher’s nine points put him ahead of the pack with two more Gold League matches still to come tonight.
Kyle O’Reilly Explains His Absence
Earlier today, Renee Paquette caught up with the winless Roderick Strong to get his thoughts on playing spoiler against Claudio Castagnoli in their Blue League match later tonight. But first, she said someone wanted to speak with him, and Kyle O’Reilly appeared. He told Strong how badly he wanted to be in the Continental Classic, but Strong stepped in with O’Reilly injured, and O’Reilly understands Strong’s been doing it for himself. He fired Strong up by saying that it won’t be a Christmas miracle if he beats Castagnoli because Strong doesn’t need a miracle to do that. It’ll be a Christmas miracle when he gets those three points and then walks backstage to see the man in the mirror that O’Reilly sees, “Roderick F’n Strong.”
Continental Classic Blue League: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (13 points) defeats Máscara Dorada (6 points)
Takeshita has already clinched a spot in the semifinals, but he could clinch the top spot in the Blue League and end Dorada’s C2 with a win. Takeshita and Dorada traded fast-paced offense in the early going and even helped each other up, although when Dorada did it, Takeshita chopped him into the corner. Dorada came back with a chop of his own and tried a pair of shoulder blocks with no effect, so he smartly switched to an aerial attack, using the ropes to armdrag and then head-scissor Takeshita to the outside. With Takeshita up against the guardrail, Dorada flew from the top rope, but Takeshita moved, and Dorada ate the steel!
Takeshita remained in control until Dorada reversed Takeshita’s offense into a headscissors that sent Takeshita to the outside. Dorada saw an opening and hit a picturesque moonsault to Takeshita on the floor! Dorada threw Takeshita back in and nailed a 450 splash from the top that got a two count. Takeshita reversed a Dorada springboard into a dizzying blue thunder bomb! Dorada kicked out! Dorada reversed a powerbomb into a poisonrana, but charged right into a massive clothesline from Takeshita. Dorada kicked out again!
Dorada avoided a charge in the corner, but Takeshita recovered with a buckle bomb and called for the end. He tried pulling Dorada up to the top rope, but Dorada punched out of it and jumped back up to hit a hurricanrana at the 10-minute mark! Dorada went back to the top for a shooting star press, so Takeshita moved, and Dorada rolled through. Takeshita spiked Dorada on his neck, but Dorada quickly reversed the momentum into a nearfall! Dorada kicked Takeshita in the face and nailed a running shooting star to get a two-count. The two men battled on the top rope until Takeshita nailed a lariat to Dorada to the mat! He followed with a running knee, then Raging Fire to secure the pinfall. Takeshita finishes league play undefeated at 5-0-1!
If Castagnoli wins, he will clinch the other spot in the Blue League, while Strong is only fighting for pride and to play spoiler. Castagnoli hit a running uppercut at the bell and immediately went for the pin, but a stunned Strong kicked out at two! Strong reversed a Neutralizer attempt into a jackknife pin for his own two-count. The two had a strike battle on the ropes, but when Strong charged at Castagnoli, he was thrown over the top rope. Castagnoli dragged Strong to the corner and nailed a superplex from the outside in! He went for another pin and got another two. A momentum clothesline put Strong down, and Castagnoli got yet another two count. He followed with a diving uppercut on the seated Strong, and that also got a two count! He sent Strong to the outside and into the guardrail to try for a countout win, but realized he didn’t do enough damage and continued the onslaught by dumping Strong into the first row!
Strong beat the count at seven and slipped under Castagnoli to hit a fireman’s carry slam. Strong was too weakened to capitalize, so Castagnoli ran him corner to corner with uppercuts until Strong broke the chain with a pair of boots, and when Castagnoli tried to lift him for an uppercut, Strong stopped it with a knee to the jaw that rocked Castagnoli! Strong lowered his knee pad and hit a jumping knee strike to the face that was enough to keep Castagnoli down for the three count. Strong gets his first win to end his tournament and spoils Castagnoli’s bid to clinch the semifinals on his accord, which means he has to wait to see what happens between Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy later tonight!
With the match and tournament over for both men, Continental Rules were out the window, so Marina Shafir, Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia showed up to attack Strong. TNT Champion Mark Briscoe hit the ring with a shard of wood to clear Yuta and Garcia out. Shafir got on the apron to face off with Briscoe, but “Timeless” Toni Storm ran down and yanked Shafir off the apron to blast her in the face with a fist wrapped in pearls! Storm joined Briscoe and Strong in the ring, as the Death Riders seethed in the aisle. Storm offered a hand to Briscoe, who kissed it! Timeless Chickens?
FTR vs. Bang Bang Gang in a Chicago Street Fight at Worlds End!
After Bang Bang Gang challenged FTR to a rematch for the AEW World Tag Team Titles in a Chicago Street Fight last night on Dynamite, Stokely responded and accepted! “Whatever FTR does to you on Saturday, the greatest tag team alive today, they will not be held liable. Top Guys, out.”
Plus, we saw some final words from Jamie Hayter and AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander ahead of their championship showdown at Worlds End!
Continental Classic Gold League: “The Jet” Kevin Knight (7 points) vs. PAC (7 points) ends in time-limit draw
Both men began this match with six points looking up at Kyle Fletcher, after he got to nine points earlier in the night with a win over “Jungle” Jack Perry. Tony Schiavone called PAC the most dangerous wrestler he’s ever seen, but that didn’t seem to bother Knight, who has shown time and time again in this tournament that he won’t be intimidated by anyone. While Knight looked to build some momentum early on, PAC escaped to the outside to slow down the pace. He returned to the ring and immediately took over with his power and intensity, although that didn’t last when he goaded Knight to fight back. They exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring until Knight hit a jumping clothesline. After battling on the apron, PAC went to the floor, so Knight jumped off the apron into another clothesline. He threw PAC back in the ring and went to the top, so PAC rolled to the outside. Knight went across the ring and springboarded to the outside with another flying clothesline on PAC! Knight hit a pendulum DDT for a two count and then mounted PAC in the corner for punches. Knight hit a diving shoulder block onto PAC for a near-fall. PAC cut Knight off with a kick to the shin and started to get back into his game plan of grinding Knight down, but also used his aerial attributes to dropkick Knight from the top with authority.
Right at the 10-minute warning, Knight started to fight back with punches and dropped PAC with a leaping clothesline. Knight hit a crossbody from the second rope, but PAC shook it off with a bodyslam and went to the top. Knight kipped up and took PAC off the top with a hurricanrana that wowed the Hammerstein Ballroom! He continued with a standing UFO splash that got a two-count. PAC avoided Knight in the corner and then again on a leaping clothesline, but when Knight charged a third time, PAC nailed a throw over the ring post to the floor! Knight was shaken up but beat the 10 count. PAC hit an avalanche belly-to-belly overhead throw from the top to get a near-fall. PAC set up for his momentum clothesline, but Knight was ready for it with a dropkick. Knight connected with a springboard clothesline and followed immediately with a sky-high powerbomb to get a two-count with five minutes to go! Both men rolled to the outside, but when Knight tried a step-up clothesline from the apron, PAC caught him with a German suplex on the floor! PAC wanted the countout win, only for Knight to sneak in at nine! PAC went to the top, but Knight met him there with an awe-inspiring leap and executed a perfect superplex!
When they got back to their feet, they traded shots in the middle and then traded boots in the corner with Knight taking PAC down to the ground. He scaled the adjacent turnbuckles for a coast-to-coast dropkick, and decided that wasn’t enough! He went back to the top for a UFO Splash, but PAC got the knees up and tried to pin Knight, but Knight kicked out with one minute to go! PAC hit his momentum clothesline, and Knight kicked out! PAC went for the Black Arrow, but now it was Knight who got his knees up and got a two-count with 30 seconds to go! Knight rolled PAC up for a two-count, then tried another pin attempt, which got another two-count. PAC locked in the Brutalizer with 10 seconds remaining! Knight survived, and the time limit expired! That gives each man a point, putting them at seven points. That means that they are in a three-way tie for second with Castagnoli, with no matches remaining. The draw clinches a semifinal spot for Kyle Fletcher and makes Jon Moxley vs. Orange Cassidy a win-and-you’re-in situation later tonight. However, a draw would put Castagnoli in on a tiebreaker.
Darby Allin Attacks Gabe Kidd and Accepts His Challenge for Worlds End!
Gabe Kidd made his way through the crowd with a microphone, telling the crowd they needed to listen to him. He said the ice was cracking beneath Darby Allin, and he was right because now Darby is in the ICU. How will Darby answer his challenge from a hospital bed? The lights went out, and when they came back on, Allin was in the ring, standing across from Kidd! Allin pulled a bat out of his jacket and swung at Kidd, who bailed to the floor. Allin got a mic and said, “This Saturday will be your Worlds End!”
Non-Title Tag Team Match: AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron) defeat Maya World & Hyan
Before the match, we saw how ROH Women’s World Champion Athena helped TBS Champion Mercedes Moné pin Willow Nightingale in an 8-Woman Tag Match to set up their challenge for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships at Worlds End.
Cameron hit a slingblade at the start on Hyan and tagged in Nightingale for some tandem offense. Hyan hit a jawbreaker to escape Willow and tag World, who walked right into a bodyslam by Nightingale. Cameron tagged in for an aided splash, and then The Babes knocked World and Hyan off the apron to the floor. Cameron held World and Hyan for a cannonball by Nightingale off the apron, and the Babes were rocking!
After a short spurt of control for World and Hyan, Nightingale came in to stop their momentum and turned their double suplex attempt into her own suplex on both of them. Cameron tagged in and jumped on Nightingale’s back for a backpack senton, but Hyan came in to make the save. Nightingale POUNCED Hyan out of the ring. Cameron hit Sole Food on World while Nightingale followed with a roll of the dice, and the Babes were victorious!
They decided to tell a Christmas story with the lights dimmed and a burning fire on the video screens. They told the story of Hillow and Warley getting tickets to AEW and seeing all the New York landmarks, including Eddie Kingston’s mother’s house! Then, they ran into Santa, who Willow stepped in to play and said that her Christmas wish was for everyone across the world to live in peace and harmony…”Except in Chicago at Worlds End, when we beat the absolute, ever-loving sh*t out of Mercedes and Athena!”
“And when the world ends, we will still be your AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions!”
Continental Classic Blue League: Jon Moxley (9 points) def. Orange Cassidy (6 points) – Moxley Clinches C2 Semifinals at Worlds End
Whoever wins this match will be the Blue League runner-up and qualify for the C2 semifinals. If the match ends in a draw, Cassidy and Moxley would be tied with Castagnoli at 7 points, and Castagnoli would advance to the semifinals based on tiebreaking wins over Moxley and Cassidy.
At the bell, Cassidy captured Moxley for a near-fall and almost won it in record time! The two went back and forth until Cassidy started beating Moxley around the ringside area. Moxley fought back and broke the count, only for Cassidy to come back with a whip into the steel steps. Cassidy threw Mox into the guardrail, and Moxley escaped into the ring. Cassidy mounted Moxley for 30 punches, 10 at a time! Cassidy charged, but Moxley sent him over the top onto the apron. Moxley hit a running dropkick to send Cassidy flying into the guardrail. He followed up and threw Cassidy into the steps and then punched away at Cassidy before breaking the count. He returned to stay on the attack and then brought Cassidy back into the ring.
Cassidy hit a Stundog Millionaire and fired back with forearms until Moxley leveled him with a running elbow. Moxley hung Cassidy on the ropes and then kicked him onto the apron. He raked Cassidy’s eyes and then tried to pull him to the top, but Cassidy turned it around with a very Mox-like back rake. Cassidy nailed an elbow off the top to get a two-count. Moxley regained control until he asked Cassidy to strike with him. Cassidy went to the pockets and kicked Moxley away and into the corner, but before he could attack more, the referee backed him away. When Cassidy went back, Moxley elbowed Cassidy in the head. Moxley tried to get to his feet, but his injured ankle gave way, and Cassidy hit the Orange Punch! Cassidy couldn’t get the cover, as Mox rolled to the outside, so OC chased him with a dive that connected. Cassidy fought Moxley into the timekeeper’s area and then put him through a table with a DDT!
Both men struggled back to the ring, but made it back before the 10-count. Cassidy kipped up only for Moxley to immediately grab him in a choke! Cassidy rolled over Moxley’s shoulder to get a two-count! OC hit a running kick and called for an Orange Punch that connected, but Moxley came back with a crushing lariat! He dropped Cassidy with a Gotch-style piledriver, but Cassidy kicked out! Moxley looked frustrated and went back to a choke, but Cassidy stopped it by ripping at Moxley’s injured foot with five minutes remaining! Cassidy locked in a half crab in the middle of the ring, which Moxley got out of with some kicks to the side of the head! Cassidy hit a spinning DDT and followed with two Orange Punches, but Moxley kept getting back up! After a third, Moxley bounced off the ropes and crumbled to the ground, so Cassidy hit a fourth Orange Punch and a Beach Break, but somehow Mox kicked out! Cassidy tried for an ankle lock, but Moxley grabbed a small package to get the win! Moxley is heading to the C2 Semifinals!
We saw a rundown of the events that brought us to the AEW World Championship 4-Way between AEW Champion Samoa Joe, “Hangman” Adam Page, Swerve Strickland, and the man who returned to execute his Casino Gauntlet guaranteed AEW World Title match contract, MJF! Three former champions face the reigning champion in two days at Worlds End!
Continental Classic Gold League: AEW Unified Champion “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada (9 points) defeats “Speedball” Mike Bailey (6 points)
The winner of this match would qualify for the C2 semifinals along with Kyle Fletcher. A draw would result in a 4-way tie and a 4-way playoff at Worlds’ End. Don Callis was on commentary to see if he can get all three of his Family members into the semifinals of the Continental Classic. Bailey’s speed was on display from the jump, as he kicked Okada to the outside and hit a moonsault from the second rope to the floor! Bailey jumped from the top, but missed when Okada moved and put Bailey down with a flapjack.
Bailey fought Okada away on the top and hit a missile dropkick. He followed with a kick combo, only to miss a running shooting star. Okada hit a neckbreaker and his patented elbow from the top before saluting the crowd with his middle finger. Bailey took that time to recover and kicked his way free of Okada with a big shot to the side of the head, which put both men on the mat!
As we came down the stretch, Okada won a strike battle, so Bailey switched to kicks and took a brief advantage until Okada nailed his dropkick! Okada pulled Bailey up for a Rainmaker, but it was reversed into a hurricanrana for a pin, only for Okada to reverse it right back for a near-fall. Bailey hit a kick, but missed a moonsault knee. Bailey went to the apron, so Okada slid under him, and by the time Okada got to the floor, Bailey was coming off the second rope with a moonsault! Unbelievable!
Bailey tried to push through the pain and put Okada on the apron with 10 minutes remaining. Okada got back inside, so Bailey caught him with a kick to the side of the head. Okada came back with a dropkick that sent Bailey crashing to the floor! Okada went out to meet him, and after trading significant reversals, Bailey hit his moonsault knees into Okada on the ramp! Okada returned to the ring and walked right into a spinning roundhouse from Bailey, although Okada was able to kick out! They fought on the top rope until Okada knocked Bailey to the mat. Bailey came back, and this time, Okada put him down hard, trapping him in the tree of woe. Okada continued to stomp, but Bailey fired up and flipped off Okada!
Bailey stopped Okada and connected with a hurricanrana from the top! He hit the shooting star knees from the top onto a folded-over Okada! But Okada smartly rolled to the floor! Bailey went to the floor before the referee could count to 10 and rained down blows before returning Okada to the ring. With five minutes remaining, Bailey kicked at Okada in a taunting way and tried for a backslide, but rolled through it and nailed a Rainmaker! Okada retained wrist control, but Bailey kicked his way free with three shots. He hit another knee-first shooting start from the second rope, but Okada kicked out!
Bailey tried for a Flamingo Driver, but Okada slipped out of it and tried a Rainmaker, only for Bailey to escape and bounce Okada off the ropes into a rollup for a two count! Okada ducked a roundhouse kick and tried for another Rainmaker, which Bailey escaped. Bailey was flipped over Okada’s shoulders onto the mat, so Okada dropped all his weight onto Bailey’s chest and shoulder to trap him for the three count! Okada gets to nine points and clinches a spot in the semifinals!
At Worlds End, it will be Gold League Winner Kyle Fletcher vs. Blue League Runner-Up Jon Moxley and an all-Don Callis Family battle between the Blue League Winner, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita and the Gold League Runner-Up, AEW Unified Champion “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada!
Callis got in the ring to celebrate with Okada, so Takeshita came out to face off with Okada as we came to a close on Christmas Collision! Merry Christmas!
