The Sky Blues against The Tractor Boys, The Foxes against Derby, along with Additional EFL Action Previews

Hello for a packed night of EFL and continental football fixtures. The spotlight falls on major Championship clashes plus the pivotal last pool matches in the Africa Cup of Nations competition.

Preamble

Hello everyone. You are welcome to what is arguably this penultimate football clockwatch of the year. There’s a full Football League programme, kicking off with Coventry v Ipswich at 18:00, while we’ll also be keeping at least a third of an eye on the two evening games from Group A at the Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco hosting Zambia and Mali facing Comoros.

We'll be focussing on the following fixtures, all 7.45pm kick-offs unless stated.

Afcon 2025

• Comoros versus Mali (19:00)
• The Copper Bullets v The Atlas Lions (19:00)

Championship

• The Sky Blues v The Tractor Boys (6pm)
• Leicester v The Rams
• Boro versus Hull
• Millwall v The Robins
• Wrexham v Preston

League One

• Cardiff versus Boro

Latest Team News

Coventry v Ipswich Team News

The evening's opener, between the teams who are top and third in the second tier, promises to be a cracker. These are the starting elevens.

Coventry City (a 4-2-3-1 formation) Rushworth; the right-back, the centre-back, Kitching, the left-back; the midfielder, Grimes; the winger, Rudoni, the forward; the striker.

Subs: The backup keeper, Allen, the forward, Kesler-Hayden, the full-back, the defender, the midfielder, the youngster, the player.

Ipswich (a 4-2-3-1 setup) The shot-stopper; the defender, the centre-half, the defender, the left-back; Matusiwa, Taylor; Walle, Nunez, the winger; the centre-forward.

Substitutes: Palmer, Young, the midfielder, Humphreys, the midfielder, the winger, the forward, Philogene-Bidace, the striker.

The official Backhouse (Cumbria).

Afcon 2025: First Group Permutations

The situation is complex. That's often the case when some but not all third-placed sides qualify. Here’s how things look ahead of this evening's final round of matches.

• The Atlas Lions 4 points, +2 goal difference
• The Eagles 2pts, 0 goal difference (with 2 goals for)
• Zambia 2 points, GD0 (with 1 goal for)
• The Coelacanths 1 point, -2 goal difference

Briefly, Morocco are probably fine though they will aim to beat Zambia to top their pool. Zambia probably need at least a point against the hosts. The island nation probably need to beat their rivals, who should advance with a point.

Many possibilities, various outcomes, plenty of scenarios.

Egypt's Match with Angola Update

The conclusion to Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations is being covered. For those wishing to remain unaware, avoid following that coverage.

Championship Table Snapshot