Brahim Díaz fires hosts Morocco past Tanzania and into last eight:Afcon and Premier League clockwatch – as it happened | Football
Key events
OK, that’s it from me after a marathon clockwatch. Thanks for following along and be sure to check out the rest of our live sport on the Guardian throughout the rest of the evening.
Full-time: Morocco 1-0 Tanzania
Morocco deservedly through thanks to Brahim Díaz’s goal. The hosts will be tough to beat for the winner of the game later tonight, South Africa v Cameroon.
Afcon: There’s a big appeal for a Tanzania penalty as Iddy Nado goes over, there was a clip but not enough for a foul.
Afcon: Four minutes added in Rabat. Morocco heading through as it stands.
Afcon: Dickson Job is lucky to escape with a booking for a wild challenge on Morocco winger Abde Ezzalzouli. I’m surprised VAR hasn’t looked at that, the Tanzania man was off his feet and lunging.
Afcon: Brahim Díaz has the crowd on his feet as he makes way for Oussama Targhalline with little more than five minutes left. Morocco comfortable at 1-0.
Afcon: It’s getting quite testy in Rabat. There’s 12 minutes left and Tanzania are flying into tackles as they try to force an equaliser, Alphonce Msanga follows Feisal Salum into the book. The fans are going wild at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which looks an incredible venue.
Jacob Steinberg
Report: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
Perhaps they underestimated Harrison Reed. Certainly there was little reaction when the ball came back to the Fulham substitute with 96 minutes gone at Craven Cottage. Liverpool simply stood off Reed, almost daring the midfielder to shoot, and were made to regret their lack of urgency when one of Fulham’s more unfashionable players rescued a point for Marco Silva’s stubborn side by ripping a stunning shot into Alisson Becker’s top corner.
It was only the popular 30-year-old’s fourth goal in six years in west London, and it said a lot about the state of Liverpool this season. The champions, after all, had just gone 2-1 up through Cody Gakpo and should have defended their lead with more determination. Instead their complacency gave Fulham hope and left Arne Slot’s side ruing a missed opportunity to tighten their grip on fourth place.
Jacob Steinberg was at Craven Cottage, here’s his report:
Louise Taylor
Report: Newcastle 2-0 Crystal Palace
Eddie Howe describes January as “season defining” for his side and Newcastle’s manager looked suitably delighted to kick it off by collecting three points as Crystal Palace’s winless run continues.
Yet snapshots of a beaming Howe allied with the bald statistics do no quite tell the story of this often chaotic collision between the Carabao Cup and FA Cup holders. By the 78th minute, when a corner was dropped for Malick Thiaw to poke the ball past Dean Henderson, the disappointment writ large across Oliver Glasner’s face suggested the Crystal Palace manager knew the game was up.
Until then though, Palace had looked eminently capable of securing a draw from an ugly match almost as bleak as the bitter chill that ensured there would be no imminent thaw on a snowy, icebound Tyneside.
Read Louise Taylor’s full report from St James’ Park:
Goal! Morocco 1-0 Tanzania (Brahim Díaz 64)
That man again! Brahim Díaz breaks the deadlock and gets his fourth goal of the tournament with a fierce shot. Masalanga has to do better, though, the Real Madrid forward’s effort squirms through the Tanzania keeper an in.
Andy Hunter
Report: Everton 2-4 Brentford
Brentford’s previously dismal away form defies comprehension on this evidence. Keith Andrews’s team had the good fortune to encounter Everton’s worst performance of the season, admittedly, but with the rampant Igor Thiago capping a dominant display with a hat-trick the visitors moved up to seventh in the Premier League in style at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Only Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane have scored more goals across Europe’s top five divisions than Thiago this season. Only bottom club Wolves have lost more away games in the Premier League this season than Brentford. But an abysmal display by Everton provided the ideal tonic for a visiting team in search of confidence.
Read Andy Hunter’s full report from the Hill Dickinson Stadium:
Quick Guide
Hull game called off 20 minutes before kick-off
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Hull City’s Championship fixture at home to Watford was called off just 20 minutes before kick-off as freezing weather hit the EFL schedule on Sunday.
Sheffield United’s early kick-off against Oxford and Portsmouth’s home meeting with Ipswich were both postponed earlier in the day – but the match at MKM Stadium was scrapped at 2.40pm. Match officials had deemed the playing surface to be playable, but concerns over ‘unsafe’ areas around the pitch meant the game could not go ahead.
‘Although this has been constantly worked on, conditions have not improved and with temperatures continuing to fall, player safety cannot be guaranteed,’ a statement from Hull City said.
Watford later posted on X: ‘While player safety is paramount, we are really disappointed the game has been postponed as we were ready to play. The decision to postpone the fixture so close to kick-off is regrettable and we fully share the frustration of our supporters.’ Guardian sport
EFL Sunday postponements
Championship
Hull City v Watford
Portsmouth v Ipswich
Sheffield United v Oxford
League One
Doncaster v Luton
Port Vale v Barnsley
Rotherham v Mansfield
Stevenage v Leyton Orient
League Two
Barnet v Crewe
Barrow v Bristol Rovers
Bromley v Oldham
Cambridge v Grimsby
Colchester v Accrington
Harrogate v Swindon
Newport v Tranmere
Notts County v Gillingham
Salford v Shrewsbury
Walsall v Fleetwood
Afcon: Hakimi has a free-kick from just outside the box and it’s a good one, forcing Tanzania keeper Masalanga to tip the effort on to the bar.
Kick-off is coming up shortly at the Etihad. Rob Smyth has updates from Manchester City v Chelsea here:
Afcon: Mohamed Hussein hits the bar and on the follow-up an off-balance Salum fires over with the goal wide open. Tanzania so close.
Billy Munday
Report: Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland
Boos are becoming an increasingly frequent fixture at the end of Tottenham games. After travelling supporters had voiced their anger at the goalless draw at Brentford on Thursday, it was the home fans’ turn to vent their frustrations after a result against Sunderland that could easily have been worse.
After a promising first-half display and Ben Davies’ opener, this draw will be even more disappointing for Thomas Frank having seen how his team were outplayed after the break by a Sunderland team still heavily depleted by players away on international duty. Brian Brobbey’s 80th-minute equaliser came at a time when the visitors were considerably the better side and perhaps looked like taking all three points.
Read Billy Munday’s full report from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:
Interesting questions via email from David Wall:
If Brentford are able to maintain their performances from the first half of the season should Keith Andrews be a contender for manager of the year? He was slightly dismissed for being the set-piece coach when he started (the new ‘just a PE teacher’) but they’re really in contention for a European place.
Also, do you think that Marco Silva would do well at Chelsea if they decided against promoting Rosenior? He’s used to making do with the players he’s given (though in Fulham’s case that’s more due to lack of transfers rather than someone else choosing for him), which is supposedly the conditions that a Chelsea manager has to work in.
On the first question, that’s a big if. There’s not a lot of consistency from the teams in mid-table. Brentford have definitely surprised people but today was a suprise because their away record isn’t great.
Second question, no. Silva would not be happy with the meddling model at Stamford Bridge.
Full-time: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
Incredible drama at Craven Cottage, but Liverpool remain too soft.
Goal! Fulham 2-2 Liverpool (Reed 90+6)
OH MY WORD! That is outstanding from Harrison Reed! No one closes down the midfielder as he picks the ball up 30 yards out and unleashes a swerving shot that gives Alisson no chance as it swerves away from his outstretched glove into the top corner.
Goal! Fulham 1-2 Liverpool (Gakpo 90+4)
Drama! Finally Gakpo has one that will count, but this is all about the ball from Frimpong. It’s a wicked ball that no one deals with as it bounces across the six-yard box and there is Gakpo to prod home. He whips his shirt off in celebration and has to take a booking, worth it.
Afcon: It’s goalless at the break in Rabat. I’ll have more updates on that when the second-half kicks off shortly.
Seven minutes added at Craven Cottage. Will we get a winner?
EFL full-time scores
Championship
Blackburn 2-2 Charlton Athletic
Bristol City 0-0 Preston
Derby 1-2 Wrexham
Middlesbrough 4-0 Southampton
Millwall 2-1 Swansea
Norwich 0-2 Stoke
League One
Blackpool 2-1 Bradford
Cardiff 1-0 Wigan
Huddersfield 2-2 Exeter City
Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Burton
Reading 1-0 Stockport
Wycombe 2-0 AFC Wimbledon
Full-time: Everton 2-4 Brentford
Igor Thiago on fire as the Bees go seventh.
Full-time: Newcastle 2-0 Crystal Palace
The Eagles are now without a win in five.
Full-time: Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland
More boos at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Goal! Everton 2-4 Brentford (Barry 90+1)
Grealish makes this, he jinks through the Brentford box and stands the ball up to the back post for Barry to head in. Too little, too late.
Most of the 3pm games are in added time…
Goal! Everton 1-4 Brentford (Igor Thiago 88)
That’s his hat-trick! With Everton leaving huge gaps at the back, the Brentford man is played in one-on-one but has lots to do. Tarkowski is chasing back but only to see the Brentford man dink it over Pickford to make it 4-1.
Wilson so close to putting Fulham back ahead! Jiminez is played in and while Allison comes out to deny the striker the ball comes to Wilson who lofts a shot golward only to see it come back off the bar.
Close from Keane! Garner’s sharp cross picks out Michael Keane but his header is wide. It was a tough one from outside the six-yard box and an awkward angle.
League One: Lewis Wing has put Reading 1-0 up against Stockport, Laurent Tolay has made it 3-0 for Plymouth against Burton.
Ambitious from Beto. The Everton strikes turns and fires from fully 30 yards out but it goes way over. The home side are pushing but can’t apply consistent pressure.
Afcon: It’s still 0-0 in Rabat as with tick into the 45th minute.
Goal Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland (Brobbey 80)
Enzo Le Fée had just hit the post but he turns provider to find Brian Brobbey who lashes home the finishes. Spurs were much better the team in the first half but have not pressed home the advantage and are punished.
Goal! Newcastle 2-0 Crystal Palace (Thiaw 78)
Hard to see Palace coming back from this. A dangerous inswinging corner from Gordon drops to Thiaw inside the six-yard box, who bundles home.
Championship: Baradji has made it 2-2 between Blackburn and Charlton, Boro now lead 4-0 against Southampton and Stoke have taken a 1-0 lead at Norwich.
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