The last time these teams met in early December, Manchester City secured a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Etihad.

This Thursday, the context shifts as an in-form City side travels to face a Sunderland team that remains undefeated at the Stadium of Light this season.

It's a Premier League clash on Thursday, January 1, 2026, as Pep Guardiola's men look to maintain pressure on league leaders Arsenal, while Regis Le Bris's Sunderland aim to prove their top-seven place is no fluke.

 

📈Team Form📉

🏠🔴 Sunderland: Seventh in the Premier League with 28 points from 18 matches.

✈️🔵 Manchester City: Second in the Premier League table with 40 points.

 

📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊

 

🔥 Manchester City are on a six-match Premier League winning streak.

🔥 Sunderland are unbeaten in nine league games at the Stadium of Light this season.

🔥 Man City have won their last seven Premier League matches against Sunderland.

🔥 City have won 19 of the 26 Premier League meetings between these sides.

 

🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams 🔥

 

🏠Sunderland | Form: W🟢D🟡L🔴W🟢D🟡D🟡

Defying all preseason expectations, Sunderland have been a tough team to break down, especially at home. They have already held Aston Villa and Arsenal to draws at the Stadium of Light.

Their challenge will be coping with significant absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations duty, which will test their squad depth against the reigning champions.

 

🌫️Manchester City | Form: W🟢W🟢W🟢W🟢W🟢W🟢

City are in ominous form and have solidified their challenge on all fronts. A victory on Wearside could see them close the gap at the top of the table to just two points.

Pep Guardiola's side combines tactical astuteness with a clinical edge and will be confident of extending their winning run, despite acknowledging the tough test Sunderland presents.

 

👥 Predicted Lineups 👥

 

🏠Sunderland (possible):

Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin, Xhaka, Geertruida, Rigg, Le Fee, Adingra, Brobbey.

 

✈️Manchester City (possible):

Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Silva, Gonzalez, Reijnders, Cherki, Foden, Haaland.

 

🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀

 

✨ Erling Haaland — The league's top scorer aims to find the net on his first Premier League visit to the Stadium of Light.

✨ Rayan Cherki — The French playmaker is City's joint-leading assist provider and has been in outstanding creative form.

✨ Wilson Isidor — With three of his four league goals coming at home, he is Sunderland's most likely scoring threat.

✨ Granit Xhaka — His experience and set-piece delivery will be crucial for the Black Cats.

 

💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵

 

💵 Sunderland/Home to win = 7.79

💵 Manchester City/Away to win = 1.43

💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 1.91

💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.66

 

This clash presents a battle of resilience versus momentum: a confident City side, with a superb winning run, faces a stubborn Sunderland team determined to protect its formidable home record.

With history heavily favouring the visitors but the hosts full of belief, the Stadium of Light is set for a compelling New Year's Day fixture.

Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.

 

🔗 You can follow the Sunderland vs Manchester City game here on MSport.

 

#Sunderland #ManCity #Manchester #City #EPL #PremierLeague #LeBris #Guardiola #StadiumOfLight #Haaland #Pep #Berando #Cherki #Foden #Xhaka

 

Defending champions Ivory Coast meet the traditional giants of Cameroon in a heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations Group F second matchday encounter.

Both teams have rich histories in African football, and their recent meetings suggest another closely fought battle is on the cards.

It's AFCON action on Sunday, December 28, as the Elephants face the Indomitable Lions.

With recent competitive head-to-head results pointing to tightly contested matches, this clash promises high stakes and intensity from the first whistle.

 

📈Team Form📉

 

🔹 Ivory Coast: The defending champions enter the tournament with pressure to defend their title.

🔸 Cameroon: The traditional giants aim for another strong campaign.

 

📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊

 

🔥 The head-to-head record is exceptionally tight, with Ivory Coast managing four wins to Cameroon's three in their last eight meetings.

🔥 One game in their recent eight-match history ended in a draw.

🔥 In the most recent CAF World Cup qualifiers, both teams won their home fixture, with Cameroon winning 1-0 and Ivory Coast winning 2-1.

 

🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams👀

 

🇨🇮Ivory Coast | Pre-AFCON Form: 🟢🟢🟡🟢🟢🟢

As the defending champions, the Elephants will carry the weight of expectation into this crunch second game of Group F.

The team will have to navigate the early challenge without key striker Sebastien Haller, who is unavailable due to injury. In attack, they will look to the recalled experience of Wilfried Zaha and the flair of Amad Diallo.

Their recent competitive record against Cameroon is strong, with a head-to-head edge of a single victory. They will rely on their experience and H2H advantage to keep their title defence on track with a positive result.

 

🇨🇲Cameroon | Form: 🔴🟡🟢🔴🟢🟢

The Indomitable Lions arrive shrouded in controversy but with a revamped squad. Veteran stars like Vincent Aboubakar and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa are missing. In their place, a new generation led by Bryan Mbeumo and Carlos Baleba will be tasked with causing an upset.

Goalkeeper André Onana, initially omitted, received a late call-up and is expected to join the squad, potentially adding crucial experience. Knowing the historical closeness of this fixture, Cameroon will aim to be disciplined and turn their intense rivalry into a platform for a statement victory.

 

👥 Predicted Lineups 👥

 

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast (Possible 4-3-3):

Fofana, Aurier, Kossonou, Ndicka, Konan, Kessie, Seri, Sangare, Zaha, Krasso, Diallo.

 

🇨🇲 Cameroon (Possible 4-3-3):

Onana, Tolo, Castelletto, Wooh, Tchamadeu, Baleba, Ndzie, Kemen, Mbeumo, Etta Eyong, Bassogog.

 

🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀

 

✨ Wilfried Zaha — Recalled to the Ivory Coast squad after nearly two years, his experience and direct wing play will be vital for the champions.

✨ Amad Diallo — The Manchester United winger offers creativity and is one of the fresh faces in the Ivorian attack.

✨ Bryan Mbeumo — With the old guard absent, the Man United forward becomes the focal point of Cameroon's new-look attack.

✨ Carlos Baleba — The Brighton midfielder's energy in the engine room will be crucial for Cameroon in matching Ivory Coast's physicality.

 

💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵

 

💵 Ivory Coast to win = 2.26

💵 Cameroon to win = 3.39

💵 Draw = 3.21

💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 1.64

 

This clash presents a classic battle of pedigree: the reigning champions against a Cameroon side in transition.

With their recent encounters almost impossible to separate and both teams fielding altered squads, fans are set for a compelling and tense African football night.

Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.

 

 

🔗 You can follow the Ivory Coast vs Cameroon game here on MSport.

 

#AFCON2025 #IvoryCoast #Cameroon #LesElephants #IndomitableLions #AFCON #CAF

 

The opening match-day of the 2025/26 Africa Cup of Nations delivered dramatic late winners for both Egypt and South Africa. Now, these two Group B heavyweights clash with a chance to seize control of the group.

Egypt's legendary Mohamed Salah saved the day with a late strike against Zimbabwe, while South Africa's Lyle Foster powered his team to a comeback win over Angola.

This sets the stage for a thrilling encounter between two confident sides with their sights set on the knockout stages.

 

📈Team Form📉

 

🔹 Egypt: Began their AFCON campaign with a victory.

🔸 South Africa: Also started the tournament with a win.

 

📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊

 

🔥 Both Egypt and South Africa secured three points with late winning goals in their opening AFCON matches.

🔥 Both Egypt and South Africa had great FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaigns with nations securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

🔥 South Africa edges Egypt on H2H with one more win over Egypt’s one, with the two sides never playing out a draw in all their three (3) meetings (two were friendly games).

 

🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams👀

 

🇪🇬Egypt | Form: W🟢

Under manager Hossam Hassan, the Pharaohs showed resilience to overcome an early scare against Zimbabwe. However, the performance lacked fluency in the final third.

Relying on the individual brilliance of attackers like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Omar Marmoush, they found a way to win. The potential introduction of Mostafa Mohamed from the start could provide better balance after his impactful assist off the bench.

 

🇿🇦South Africa | Form: W🟢

Managed by Hugo Broos, South Africa are riding a wave of confidence following their World Cup qualification. They demonstrated their own fighting spirit to overcome an enterprising Angola side.

With players like Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster, they possess a direct and threatening attack. They will believe they have the tools to create significant problems for an Egyptian defence that looked vulnerable in their opener.

 

👥 Predicted Lineups 👥

 

🇪🇬 Egypt (4-2-3-1): El Shenawy, Hany, Ibrahim, Abdelmaguid, Hamdi, Ateya, Fathy, Salah, Mostafa Mohamed, Trezeguet, Marmoush.

🇿🇦 South Africa (4-4-2): Williams; Mudau, Ngezana, Mbokazi, Modiba, Moremi, Mokoena, Sithole, Appollis, Foster, Mbule.

 

🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀

 

✨ Mohamed Salah — The Liverpool star delivered when it mattered on Matchday 1. His experience and quality remain the Pharaohs' most potent weapon.

✨ Lyle Foster — The Burnley striker came off the bench to snatch the winner for South Africa. His physical presence and finishing will be central to their game plan.

✨ Mostafa Mohamed — His clever assist changed the game for Egypt. A start could be the key to unlocking a more cohesive attacking performance.

✨ Oswin Appollis — He opened the scoring for Bafana Bafana and will be crucial in providing creative energy from the flank.

 

💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵

 

💵 Egypt/Home to win = 2.03

💵 South Africa/Away to win = 4.29

💵 Draw = 3.09

💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 2.21

 

This clash presents a fascinating tactical battle: Egypt's superstar-driven attack against South Africa's cohesive and in-form unit.

With both teams proving they can find winning goals, this match could be one of the group stage's most compelling contests.

Who do you think will take control of Group B? Tell us your prediction in the comments.

 

 

🔗 You can follow the Egypt vs South Africa game here on MSport.

 

#AFCON2025 #Egypt #SouthAfrica #Pharaohs #BafanaBafana #Salah #Foster #AFCON #