Rigobert Song believes the Africa Cup of Nations returning to Ivory Coast could be a harbinger of good fortune for Cameroon ahead of their opening fixture against Guinea.

The only previous occasion the Ivorians had staged the tournament in 1984 was when Cameroon went all the way, coming from behind to beat Nigeria 3-1 in the final in Abidjan.

It was their first taste of success in the competition and – while they have lifted the trophy on four more occasions since then – Song sees the symbolism attached to their return to Ivory Coast.

The Cameroon head coach said in quotes on the tournament’s official website: “Why not repeat history and repeat the feat of 1984? We did not come just to participate.

“There is a history between Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire. We were heroes in 1984 and I think we should not forget the history.

“We are a family. We won our first title in here and that’s why we visited the grave of the first president of Cote d’Ivoire when we came here.”

Cameroon will be without captain and star striker Vincent Aboubakar, who suffered a thigh injury on Friday that places a question mark over his availability for the rest of the campaign.

Speaking ahead of Cameroon’s Group C opener, Song said: “The absence of Aboubakar is a loss because he is a leader and has shown his ability for years. The other players are ready.”

Cameroon, who settled for a third-place finish in 2021, will take on defending champions Senegal after Guinea but Song was wary of looking too far ahead.

Song added: “The first matches in such competitions are very important, we will be ready. All teams that will participate in the competition come with certain goals.

“Guinea is a good team and we also know who we are going to face and we will give everything we have.”

Tottenham twice pegged back Manchester United to deny Erik ten Hag’s men victory as Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his first match since agreeing a partial takeover of the club.

The billionaire’s agreement to buy a 25 per cent stake and take control of football operations has brought some hope to a club that has fallen off the top of the English game under owners the Glazers.

But it is a long way back and fans will continue to protest the Americans’ involvement, no matter how diminished, with Ratcliffe getting a first-hand look at the challenge he is taking on in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Spurs.

The 71-year-old, who grew up supporting United, sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box at Old Trafford and only had to wait three minutes to celebrate as summer signing Rasmus Hojlund hammered home.

Richarlison headed in an equaliser from a corner – his sixth goal in as many Premier League matches – but Marcus Rashford smartly put the hosts back ahead in the 40th minute.

Cristian Romero rattled the United crossbar in stoppage time and 49 seconds into the second half Rodrigo Bentancur slammed Spurs level, capitalising on some lax home defending.

Ange Postecoglou’s visitors looked most likely to win it but United avoided a 10th Premier League loss of the season in front of Ratcliffe and his INEOS team.

Things had got off to an ideal start from a United perspective.

Andre Onana – playing his final match before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations – collected a cross and threw wide to Alejandro Garnacho, who played onto Bruno Fernandes.

The skipper put Rashford behind to drive forward and then cut inside, with Destiny Udogie’s eventual challenge taking the ball into Hojlund’s path rather than halting the counter.

The 20-year-old Dane moved the ball away from Spurs defenders, steadied himself with another touch before thundering a left-footed drive into the roof of the net.

Rashford tried to add a second when meeting a deep Christian Eriksen corner with an unorthodox volley across goal, but Spurs soon awoke from their slumber.

Pedro Porro’s pot shot may have been easily held but Jonny Evans had to be alert to stop a looping header from Spurs debutant Timo Werner causing problems.

Diogo Dalot cleared Bentancur’s header from the resulting set-piece off the line, but another corner would prove United’s undoing in the 19th minute.

Porro swung in from the left and Richarlison showed strength in a congested six-yard box to glance home, extending Spurs scoring run in the league to a club-record 33rd game.

Play settled for a while, only for United to kick on towards the break.

Garnacho’s penalty appeals against Udogie fell on deaf ears but the Spurs left-back was soon breathing a sigh of relief after heading a Rashford cross onto his own post.

United’s pressure continued and brought about a 40th-minute goal.

Rashford played a one-two with Hojlund around the edge of the 18-yard box, then followed a touch with a low snapshot into the bottom corner.

The England forward made a talking gesture with his hand as he celebrated – seemingly a message for those questioning him.

Rashford was blocked out as he attempted to add another but Spurs went close in stoppage time, with Romero launching himself to meet a corner and sending a header crashing off the bar.

Postecoglou’s side were not discouraged by that near miss and drew level moments into the second half.

Werner held the ball up on the left and played across to Bentancur, who drove into the box, past Evans and continued to slam Spurs level.

It was a gut punch Tottenham were determined to add to.

Richarlison forced a low save out of Onana and Werner hooked over as the visitors looked most likely to score, but they could not capitalise on their boatload of set-pieces.

Ten Hag made a pair of changes in quick succession to change the dynamics.

The first, Scott McTominay, drove narrowly wide from 20 yards after replacing Eriksen, before Lisandro Martinez came on for his first appearance since September.

Spurs introduced January arrival Radu Dragusin as the match wound down, with McTominay heading over at the end of five minutes stoppage time.

Chelsea were given a major scare before booking a spot in the FA Cup fifth round as the defending champions came from behind to seal a 3-1 victory over West Ham after extra time.

Viviane Asseyi gave the Hammers a shock lead after 18 minutes and Rehanne Skinner’s side, who have won just once in the Women’s Super League this season, looked unflustered for large spells at Kingsmeadow.

An early exit looked to be beckoning for the Blues, but Mia Fishel drew the hosts level with 20 minutes remaining to keep alive their hopes of winning the competition for the fourth year in a row.

Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken netted in the first half of extra time as Chelsea avoided an upset but their struggles in Sam Kerr’s injury-enforced absence will not have gone unnoticed by their rivals.

There was no such drama for Manchester United as last season’s beaten finalists routed Newcastle 5-0 at Leigh, where Nikita Parris struck in either half to subdue a sizeable travelling contingent.

Third-tier Newcastle headed into this fixture on the back of a 30-game unbeaten streak – their last loss was in December 2022 – but the Red Devils’ class told as Ella Toone opened the scoring.

Parris then bagged a brace before substitutes Rachel Williams and Melvine Malard added gloss to the scoreline to emphasise the gulf in quality between these two teams.

Arsenal were similarly untroubled as goals from Alessia Russo, Lia Walti and Stina Blackstenius put them on the path to a 5-1 victory over Watford.

Seventeen-year-old Michelle Agyemang, who joined Watford on a dual-sign agreement from Arsenal last year, pulled one back, but Amanda Ilestedt and Frida Maanum wrapped up a comfortable win for the Gunners.

Their only concern centred on Beth Mead needing treatment on her right leg at full-time but the England forward was able to walk off the field.

Manchester City brushed aside Durham 4-0 thanks to a double from Jill Roord after Laura Coombs had broken the deadlock early on, with Mary Fowler completing the scoring in the closing stages.

WSL side Tottenham fought from 2-0 down to beat Championship outfit Sheffield United 3-2, with Rosella Ayane scoring the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Liverpool left it late to beat WSL basement team Bristol City as Gemma Bonner struck five minutes from time to secure a 1-0 win, with the Reds down to 10 for the final half hour as Ceri Holland was dismissed.

Karoline Olesen’s opener and Katja Snoeijs’ double helped Everton to a 3-0 victory over fellow WSL opponents Aston Villa.

Fifth-tier Luton were the lowest-ranked team to reach this stage but were unceremoniously dumped out after a 6-0 thumping by top-flight Brighton, who scored four times in the final half-hour.

Crystal Palace scored three times in the final quarter of an hour to come from behind and defeat Blackburn 3-1, Southampton won 2-0 at Sunderland and Nottingham Forest thrashed Plymouth 6-1.

Charlton came from a goal down to thump Ipswich 4-1, Birmingham won 3-1 at Burnley after extra time and Wolves edged Reading 2-1.

Leicester and London City Lionesses made sure of their spots in Monday night’s fifth-round draw with 4-0 wins over Derby and Moneyfields respectively.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery admits their goalless draw at Everton was a disappointment as they seek to keep pace with the top-flight’s big hitters.

Villa had a chance to move level on points with leaders Liverpool with a win but Emery’s first Premier League 0-0 in his 97th match kept them in third, behind Manchester City on goal difference.

As a result it was viewed as a missed opportunity against a team struggling for goals and seeking to avoid a fourth successive league defeat.

“It is not enough for us the point we achieved today,” said Emery.

“We conceded a few chances but we controlled the game and we created chances to win.

“In the last 20 minutes, even in added time, we never lost our mind and kept our game-plan in our mind.

“Now we have 41 points and are keeping more or less the the same position for the next couple of weeks (Villa do not play again until January 26) but we have to be focused on each match but also to improve what we can.”

Both goalkeepers were on top form, Jordan Pickford making good saves from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, while Emiliano Martinez denied Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a one-on-one and also kept out James Garner.

Calvert-Lewin’s goalless run is now at 13 matches, dating back to October, but Sean Dyche insists it is only a matter of time before he ends his drought.

“I keep reminding him the further away it gets the closer it gets. One will go in,” said the Toffees boss.

“He did everything right, hit it hard and low and the keeper makes a good save.

“I hope he’s not worried about it. He’s working hard all the time, that’s what we want. We want clarity in the players’ thoughts.”

The match saw captain Seamus Coleman become the club’s leading Premier League appearance-maker with his 355th game and Dyche paid tribute, saying: “A fantastic servant, what he is and what he’s given to the side.

“It was a big day for him – deservedly so – and I’m pleased for him we got some kind of result as it would not have been an enjoyable moment for him.”

Dyche claims not to know anything about suggestions Everton could learn on Monday whether they will face any charges regarding profit and sustainability breaches relating to accounts submitted last month.

“Nothing at the moment, just waiting on the news. The last time (when they were deducted 10 points earlier in the season) the news came out of the blue.

“You don’t know until you know. I’ll explain further if and when the news comes through.”

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse insists his side are embracing the pressure of defending their Africa Cup of Nations title.

Senegal lifted the trophy for the first time in Cameroon two years ago, beating Egypt on penalties in the final after the game had finished 0-0.

The Teranga Lions are among the favourites to triumph in the Ivory Coast this year and get their campaign under way against Gambia in Group C on Monday.

“The pressure that exists is a positive pressure which motivates us to win, but I have a lot of experience because I will have my fourth experience with Senegal as coach during the Africa Cup of Nations,” Cisse told a pre-match press conference.

“There are many candidates for the continental title and Senegal is not the only favourite to win the title.

“We now have a new challenge. Yesterday has passed, which was the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and today there is the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.”

Gambia, who reached the quarter-finals on their debut in the competition two years ago before losing to hosts Cameroon, suffered a frightening start to their campaign when their initial flight to the Ivory Coast had to be aborted last week, just minutes after leaving Banjul.

Head coach Tom Saintfiet believes a lack of oxygen prompted many of his players to fall asleep and praised the pilot for quickly realising there was a problem.

Saintfiet told BBC Sport Africa: “The local crew said there was a problem with the air conditioning before we took off but that it would be all fine when we took off.

“After a few minutes it was very hot in the plane. We all fell asleep because there was a lack of oxygen – some of the players couldn’t be woken up. The pilot noticed and we had to return.

“People got headaches and, if the flight had gone on for another 30 minutes, the whole team would have died.

“The strange thing is that the oxygen masks didn’t come out – it’s good that the pilot realised that this was a deadly situation and so turned back. But we are still in shock.”

Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their Africa Cup of Nations Group A opening encounter in Abidjan.

Three-time AFCON champions Nigeria threatened early, but it was Equatorial Guinea who took a surprise lead through Iban Salvador in the 36th minute.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen issued a near-instant reply when he headed home Ademola Lookman’s cross less than two minutes later to ensure the sides were square at the break.

Osimhen squandered the best opportunity of the second half, when heavy favourites Nigeria were forced to settle while their underdog opposition walked away with a valuable point.

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi tested Equatorial Guinea keeper Jesus Owono within the first 20 seconds, the start of a sustained spell of attack for Jose Peseiro’s side.

The Super Eagles nearly found their opener after 10 minutes when Alhassan Yusuf delivered a fine cross to Zaidu Sanusi at the back post, but the Porto left-back directed his effort over the crossbar.

Nigeria looked likelier to break the deadlock, but it was Juan Micha’s men who found themselves ahead just after the half-hour mark.

After some patient build-up, Monza’s Jose Machin squared to Salvador, who sent Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabali went the wrong way with a low finish to the bottom left.

However, celebrations were cut short when, just over a minute later, African Footballer of the Year Osimhen connected with Lookman’s cross and headed home.

Sanusi wasted a chance after the break and Owono came out to deny Osimhen soon after as Nigeria continued to apply pressure, and there was bad news for the Super Eagles when Yusuf was carried off on a stretcher after 69 minutes.

Ola Aina had forced Owono into another save seconds before, and Osimhen, again wearing a protective face mask, missed a huge chance when he found himself through on goal but fired wide from the edge of the six-yard box.

Nwabali was called into a rare test in second-half stoppage time, when his side staging a frenzied late surge but came up short of a winner.

Goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martinez contributed significantly to Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery’s first goalless draw in 97 Premier League matches.

The point meant Villa could not leapfrog Manchester City to go level on points with leaders Liverpool and while it did little for Everton, who are only one ahead of 18th-placed Luton – who have a match in hand – it did at least end a run of three successive league defeats.

A large part of that was down to Pickford, who made good saves from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, while Martinez made his presence felt by denying Dominic Calvert-Lewin clean through on goal and also James Garner in quick succession.

However, while the two goalkeepers were on the top of their game at Goodison Park, the men leading their respective attacks were less so.

Calvert-Lewin has not scored for 13 matches and after failing to convert Everton’s best chance he was replaced just past the hour mark having failed to end a run dating back to October.

Watkins’ battle with James Tarkowski was more compelling but ultimately as fruitless as Villa’s 15 shots failed to produce a goal.

This was the 212nd league meeting between the pair – a record in English domestic history – and in the later stages that familiarity bred some contempt as players squared up to each other on several occasions.

Everton captain Seamus Coleman was making his 355th Premier League appearance, a new club record, and while the £60,000 signing from Sligo in 2009 will have enjoyed the clean sheet there was little else to celebrate about his landmark game.

Arnaut Danjuma woefully miscued an early volley from Jack Harrison’s cross and while the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure after five matches made a huge difference it was Villa who looked more constructive in the final third.

Watkins’ angled shot was blocked by Pickford’s knee and although the goalkeeper was beaten by Alex Moreno’s 20-yard strike a lengthy VAR check ruled Bailey, who played the final pass, was offside in the build-up from a short corner.

Pickford’s quick reactions tipped Bailey’s shot around his near post before Martinez proved he could match the England number one in the save stakes.

Danjuma’s through-ball with the outside of his right foot was the perfect invitation for Calvert-Lewin to race through but he never appeared confident, perhaps understandably considering his drought.

The striker – given a reprieve earlier this week when his red card at Crystal Palace was rescinded – was not afforded the same leniency by the Argentinian World Cup winner, who stuck out a foot to block the low shot when anything lifted off the turf would almost certainly have beaten him.

Martinez then made a similarly good stop from Garner low down to his left as he was moving to his right in the breakdown from the Calvert-Lewin attack.

Goalmouth incidents were less frequent in an increasingly fractious second half as referee David Coote struggled to get a handle on a number of strong challenges, several from a pumped-up Tarkowski.

When Danjuma stabbed wide after Harrison’s run down the right it was his – and Calvert-Lewin’s – last involvement.

A flurry of late activity saw Vitalii Mykolenko’s diving block smother a shot from Matty Cash, whose cross was then diverted just wide by the sliding Jhon Duran, before Doucoure raced clear to beat Martinez at his near post only to be denied by an offside flag.

Reading’s Sky Bet League One match with Port Vale was abandoned after home fans invaded the pitch to protest against owner Dai Yongge.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key questions following the events of Saturday afternoon.

What happened?

With 16 minutes on the clock, approximately 1,000 Reading supporters entered the field at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. The match was halted, with around 40 people still refusing to leave the pitch some 68 minutes later. Fans stood in the centre circle surrounded by stewards before the announcement to call the game off was made at 4.25pm. Supporters chanted anti-Yongge slogans and unveiled a banner in the centre circle which read ‘Football has an ownership problem’.

Why did it happen?

Many Reading fans want Yongge to sell up. There has been an increasing amount of of fear and concern among supporters about the club’s direction under his stewardship. Sell Before We Dai, a fan group calling for a change of ownership, released a statement on Saturday evening entitled: ‘Desperate situation, desperate fans, desperate measures’. In the 242-word statement, members said they were “scared for the future” of the club and that “the threat could not be more real”.

What was the background to the protest?

Reading have had three points deductions – totalling 16 points – for various financial breaches in the past three years. Last season, a six-point deduction caused the Royals to be relegated from the Championship. This season, they have lost four points, punishment which has left them in the relegation zone. They have also been placed under transfer embargoes, while manager Ruben Selles has reportedly been unaware of transfer discussions for some of his players. Other, less disruptive, fan protests have previously been staged.

Who is Dai Yongge?

The Chinese businessman and his sister Dai Xiu Li became the majority shareholders of Reading in May 2017. The takeover was announced shortly after the Royals booked their place in the Championship play-off final, which they lost on penalties to Huddersfield. The 55-year-old Yongge was previously involved with Chinese club Beijing Renhe and Belgian side KSV Roeselare, both of which were dissolved. In 2016, he launched a failed bid to buy Hull. The English Football League was recently unsuccessful in a proposal to have Yongge disqualified from all football activity for 12 months following a financial misconduct charge.

What happens next?

Sell Before We Dai warned Saturday’s events were the start of an “elevated protest action”. The group plan to pressure the EFL in a bid to resolve the situation and may do so in collaboration with fans of other clubs which have experienced ownership issues. Further spontaneous match-day protests from fans are also a possibility. The EFL plans to “discuss the implications” of Saturday’s events with both clubs, with Reading likely to be sanctioned. Yongge placed the club up for sale in October and many Royals fans will hope a takeover is imminent.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says his involvement with Manchester United is the most exciting thing he has done and expects his partial takeover to be ratified by mid-February.

The 71-year-old billionaire was at Old Trafford on Sunday to attend his first United match since agreeing to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League outfit.

And ahead of kick-off for the visit of Tottenham, Ratcliffe spoke publicly for the first time since the Christmas Eve announcement of his deal.

“It’s the first match for me since we sort of got there, if you like,” he said, introducing himself to members of the media in the press conference room.

“I am very excited to be here, but I can’t answer any questions, really, because that would be inappropriate, honestly.

“It’s a big match… we normally do well against Spurs!”

Asked if his deal to come in at United is as exciting as anything he has ever done, Ratcliffe smiled and said: “Correct. Yes.

“I have done a few exciting things, but this caps it all. There’s no question about that.”

Ratcliffe said this was his first match at Old Trafford for two to three years, mentioning Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona when asked about his favourite players.

The 71-year-old thinks he was around 10 when he first watched United, where his INEOS group are preparing to take responsibility for footballing operations.

Ratcliffe plans to come “quite a lot” moving forwards and expects ratification to arrive in the next month.

“I think it’s three or four weeks,” he said. “Early Feb.”

A colleague interjected saying “early to mid Feb”, before Ratcliffe added with a laugh “we hope they don’t find anything dodgy in our CV!”

Ratcliffe was unable to answer questions on specifics until the deal gets the final sign off, saying it would not be appropriate to say what his first impressions were.

The INEOS chief also said he “can’t comment” when asked about his influence on the January transfer window and declined to answer what the biggest challenge was.

It was a brief conversation that is expected to be followed by a more in-depth media appearance when ratification is approved.

Quizzed on how long he has had ambitions to be involved, he said: “A few years.

“It’s taken a few turns, as you know, along the road, but these things quite often do. It all turned out well in the end.”

Girona moved top of the LaLiga table but failed to fully capitalise after being held to a frustrating goalless draw at rock -bottom Almeria.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona in Saudi Arabia for Sunday evening’s Spanish Super Cup final, Michel Sanchez’s in-form side had a major opportunity to put pressure on their title rivals.

Yet they climbed only a point above Real after failing to break down struggling opposition without a league win all season.

A disappointing afternoon for the high-flying visitors at Power Horse Stadium was compounded by midfielder Aleix Garcia being sent off 10 minutes from time for a last-man challenge on Gonzalo Melero.

The result could have been worse as struggling Almeria, who are 10 points from safety after taking only six points from 20 games this term, had the better of the limited chances.

Brazilian forward Leo Baptistao forced a fine save out of Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga before Garcia’s dismissal left the away side holding on in the final stages.

Concerned Reading fans plan to focus future protests towards the English Football League amid genuine fears the club could go out of business under owner Dai Yongge.

Saturday’s Sky Bet League One match between the Royals and Port Vale was abandoned after approximately 1,000 home supporters invaded the pitch at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Sell Before We Dai, a fan-led group urging Chinese businessman Yongge – Reading’s majority shareholder since May 2017 – to sell up, said the incident was “just the start”.

Group member Eleanor Flood, a season-ticket holder who has been watching Reading since 1994, called for support from the EFL to help stave off the possibility of liquidation.

“I think the people who can put the pressure on is the EFL, so I think we will turn our attentions to something there,” she told the PA news agency.

“They’ve got their head office in Preston and the London office, so I think we’ll look to do something that focuses more on them and their ability to really intervene in this.

“We don’t want them to let us go under when they could actually step up and help.

“I think that’s where the focus will be – PR stunts to keep it in everybody’s mind, but ultimately the next stage will be to put pressure on people who can actually help us.

“We were in the Premier League (most recently in the 2012-13 season) and now there’s a real possibility that we might not exist.

“For one of the oldest clubs in the football league, that’s just unimaginable, that we might go into liquidation.”

As a membership organisation and competition organiser, the EFL’s role is to ensure compliance and work within the bounds of regulations set by member clubs.

The League, which supports the new independent regulator, was recently unsuccessful in a proposal to have Yongge disqualified from all football activity for 12 months in relation to a financial misconduct charge.

Reading, formed in 1871, have been hit with a series of points deductions and financial penalties under his stewardship.

The Berkshire club were relegated from the Championship last term due to a six-point penalty and sit in the League One relegation zone after being stripped of four points this campaign.

Saturday’s pitch invasion occurred in the 16th minute, representing the total number of points deducted during Yongge’s reign.

Fans chanted anti-Yongge slogans and unveiled a banner in the centre circle which read ‘Football has an ownership problem’.

The 55-year-old Yongge, whose takeover came just before the Royals’ penalty shoot-out defeat to Huddersfield in the 2017 Championship play-off final, was previously involved with Chinese club Beijing Renhe and Belgian side KSV Roeselare, both of which were dissolved.

Flood said efforts to target the EFL could be done in collaboration with fans of other clubs troubled by recent ownership issues, such as next weekend’s opponents Wigan.

“It’s important to reference that he’s liquidated two other clubs as well, one in China and one in Belgium,” Flood said of Yongge.

“They don’t exist anymore – and we don’t want to be the third.

“You want there to be that club that’s passed from generation to generation and at this point we’re really scared that next season it might not exist.”

The EFL is set to discuss the implications of the abandoned match with Reading and Port Vale.

Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi is demanding humility from his players ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Group D rivals Angola as they look to bounce back from their 2021 disappointment.

Les Fennecs entered that tournament as defending champions but crashed out of the group stage, finishing bottom with just one point from three matches.

While Belmadi’s side enter the competition the fourth best-ranked team in the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the boss tempered expectations.

He told the CAF website: “We can’t say we are going to win (the trophy), but we can say we’ve prepared ourselves to give our best and to perform in this competition and to go as far as possible.

“Of course our expectations and ambitions are high. Because we went out in the first round in Cameroon, we were not in the last World Cup. We cannot say that we are the favourites, we have to be humble.

“What we feel, talk, say between us on what is our ambition might be different, but our communication should be like this because of the last AFCON.”

Head-to-head, Algeria have two wins over Angola to their opponent’s single victory, while six other encounters between the two have ended in stalemates.

Angola are back in the tournament after missing out on qualifying for the last edition and boss Pedro Goncalves knows their first encounter will be a tough test.

He told CAF: “We have achieved our main goal, which was to qualify and come here. It is very important for Angolan football to be at the biggest tournament on the continent.

“We know Algeria is a formidable adversary. Algeria’s sporting potential speaks for itself, as does its investment. So we must be strong, focused and courageous for what awaits us.”

Eddie Howe has backed record signing Alexander Isak to join Alan Shearer in the Newcastle pantheon after watching him enhance his credentials in a heart-breaking defeat by Manchester City.

The 24-year-old Sweden international capped a fine individual display with a stunning first-half equaliser, yet still ended up on the losing side after the club world champions snatched a 3-2 victory at St James’ Park as a mouthwatering spectacle came to a dramatic conclusion.

Asked afterwards if Isak, a £63million signing from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022, could go on to enjoy the same elevated status as the club’s record goalscorer Shearer, head coach Howe said: “The goal was very reminiscent of Alan, really, the finish that he delivered.

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“He can go on, I think, to achieve incredible things in his career. He’s got so much more to offer.

“He’s probably getting back to 100 per cent fit – I wouldn’t say he’s totally there yet. He’s had his own injury troubles this season, but the last two performances and the goals that he’s scored offers a glimpse, really, of his capabilities.

“He is really the all-round striker, in my opinion.”

Isak dragged Newcastle back into a thrilling encounter 10 minutes before the break when, with Bernardo Silva having put the visitors ahead with an impudent flick, he collected Bruno Guimaraes’ looping ball over the top, cut inside Kyle Walker and curled a delicious effort past substitute keeper Stefan Ortega.

When Anthony Gordon matched his feat two minutes later, the Magpies were flying, but a compelling contest was ultimately decided by a tale of two benches, one riven by injury and suspension and the other which included Kevin de Bruyne and the precocious talent of Oscar Bobb.

Howe’s men were coping well with City’s incessant onslaught until De Bruyne making his first league appearance since the opening weekend of the season following a hamstring injury, was introduced as a 69th-minute substitute.

Within five minutes, he had levelled with a pinpoint finish and as Newcastle tired, it was he who picked out Bobb’s stoppage-time run into the box and then looked on as the 20-year-old collected the ball expertly before dispatching it past Martin Dubravka to clinch victory.

In the process, he sent City into second place in the table and condemned the Magpies to a fourth successive league defeat and their first back-to-back failures at home since Amanda Staveley’s successful takeover.

Howe was understandably disappointed by the outcome, but happy with a performance which suggested his team is returning to its best after a bruising run with 14-goal Isak, who has also scored against Aston Villa, Paris St Germain and Liverpool this season, a particular focus.

He said: “Alex is an outstanding individual. His goal was of the highest level, and I thought his energy and his overall performance was outstanding. I thought he was a constant menace.

“He showed his ability to run, he showed his ability to link play and he showed his ability to finish. I’m just disappointed that we couldn’t get him into more dangerous situations in that second half because he could have made the difference for us.”

Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso lifted tournament hosts Ivory Coast to a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in front of an elated Abidjan crowd to kick off the Africa Cup of Nations.

Fofana fired the Elephants in front inside four minutes at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, punishing their Group A rivals for a lapse at the back, and came inches away from adding another before the break.

Krasso doubled the lead with a volleyed effort to buy his side a bit of breathing room in the 58th minute as former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba looked on from the stands.

The visitors came closest when Mama Balde put Franculino Dju through on goal late in the second half, but they never looked like staging a serious comeback.

Fofana’s opener was the result of a defensive lapse by the visitors, who gave the ball away in a dangerous position allowing the Manchester City academy graduate to latch onto Franck Kessie’s low pass and whip the ball past Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco into the top corner.

Fofana nearly doubled his side’s advantage when he forced Djoco into a brilliant fingertip save, the keeper getting enough contact to push against the crossbar and out of danger.

Despite a decent start from Guinea-Bissau, who did have their chances and made it perhaps a closer contest than some expected for a side 54 places above them in FIFA’s world rankings, the home nation continued to control proceedings after the break.

Another Guinea-Bissau error led to Krasso’s alert effort as he patiently controlled the ball on a bounce inside the area before volleying low into the right corner to seal the result.

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will only succeed with “hungry players” after letting Jadon Sancho leave little more than a year after Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile departure.

The Dutch coach was brought in 19 months ago to change things on and off the pitch at Old Trafford, where he has had to deal with a fair share of distractions.

Unhappy star Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in acrimonious fashion in November 2022 and another big name has left midway through a Ten Hag season in charge of the Premier League giants.

Sancho has been banished from the first-team since September, when he claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” after the Dutchman said he omitted him from a matchday squad due to his training levels.

The 23-year-old this week returned to former club Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season and, while he wished the winger luck, the United boss underlined the need for the right mentality at the club.

“If you want to perform, you need hungry players,” Ten Hag said.

“I already said, we need personalities and players who are very hungry to fight for the badge, so fight for this club, and to do this in the team.”

Discipline is a key pillar of Ten Hag’s approach and was backed during the Ronaldo situation by the Glazers, while new incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not stood in the way of Sancho’s exit.

“I think it is not about discipline, it is about normal behaviour,” the Dutchman said. “It is about that, so what you can expect from a top professional.”

United are preparing for Sunday’s home clash with Tottenham – their only Premier League match this month.

The Red Devils need a win having lost nine of their 20 top-flight matches in an injury-hit season, with results and performances increasing the pressure on Ten Hag.

But the United boss trusts a process he believes will improve as absentees return, including Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez.

Ten Hag said: “If you ask me the question ‘is it difficult for you (to deal with things)?’, no, it is not difficult for me.

“Because I could expect from the start of the season when this happened the process could go negative, then, as a manager, you have to stay positive and get the process in the right direction.

“In the meantime, you have to be pragmatic, get as much points as possible and wait until the players are fit.

“In the meantime, work on your team, work on individuals that they go to higher levels, that you set conditions that the team is performing better, that the results will rise again.”