As the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group phase reaches its climax, 2023 winner Manchester City will aim to avoid group phase elimination when they host Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

With just eight points from seven matches this season, the Citizens sit 25th in the table and must secure all three points to stand any chance of securing a round-of-16 playoff spot.

Club Brugge, three points ahead of their hosts,  will come to Manchester knowing that a draw would be enough to get them a playoff spot. The action will be broadcast live on DStv and GOtv at 9 pm on Wednesday.

Fans are in for a thrilling night of Champions League football with 17 other matches running simultaneously. Champions League debutants, Brest and defending champions, Real Madrid, will hope they can nick one of the top eight spots when they slug it out in France.

With 10 points each, PSG and Stuttgart will engage in a fierce match as both sides aim to avoid dropping out of the playoff spots. In the other encounters,  Bayern Munich will take on Slovan Bratislava, Juventus will host Benfica, Aston Villa will square up against Celtic in a British derby, and Inter Millan will take on Monaco.

Elsewhere, Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta will face off with Barcelona in Spain in what promises to be a goal fest. Girona will host Arsenal, while Liverpool will square up against PSV in the Netherlands. All the action will be broadcast on SuperSport channels available on DStv and GOtv.

GOtv subscribers can take advantage of the Step-Up offer to enjoy more football action across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League, and Europa League matches. Customers on the Jolli package who upgrade to Max will be automatically upgraded to Supa, while those upgrading to Supa will gain access to Supa Plus at no extra cost. The offer is available until March 31.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will have another chance to lift the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco as they face Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda in the group stage of the continental tournament.

The Nigerian team was drawn in Group C during the ceremony that was held in Morocco on Monday night.

The Super Eagles went all the way to the final of the last AFCON before losing 1-2 to the host, Cote d’Ivoire, in 2024. They now will be aiming to go one step better in the next tournament where they will be going for their fourth crown.

Though Nigeria and Tunisia are the more accomplished teams in Group C, the East African teams of Tanzania and Uganda present a tough challenge for the two automatic qualifying spots.

The host nation Morocco will lead Group A alongside Mali, Zambia, and Comoros.

The Group B is also packed with heavyweights consisting of Egypt, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe who will have a lot to prove in the group.

In Group D, 2021 champions Senegal will battle it out with DR Congo, Benin, and Botswana, while Group E sees Algeria drawn against Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan.

The defending champions, Ivory Coast will be hoping to outwit Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique to kickstart the defence of the title they won at home last year.

The tournament, which will hold in December 2025 into January 2026, will be Nigeria’s chance to be continental champions since they last won it in 2013.

The tournament will be one task out of many for Nigeria’s Malian coach, Mr Eric Chelle, who was recently appointed to lead the Super Eagles, was present during Monday’s draw in Morocco.

Mr Chelle will be aiming to join Mr Otto Gloria (1980), Mr Clemens Westerhof (1994) and the late Stephen Keshi (2013), in the league of managers to win the AFCON trophy for Nigeria.

CAF president Patrick Motsepe from South Africa told reporters he believes the first AFCON to span two years will also be the most successful.

“I am extremely excited about the AFCON in Morocco — it is going to be the most successful yet. Ivory Coast raised the bar last year and now we must reach even greater heights.

Originally slated for mid-2025, the tournament had to be delayed because to avoid clashing with the maiden edition of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

“The new dates will not affect the tournament. Africa boasts many exceptionally talented footballers and all of them will be in Morocco,” added Mr Motsepe.

The race for knockout spots in Europe’s elite football competitions reaches the crunch phase this week, with matchday seven action in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

The stakes are high with some of the big names in danger of elimination. From Tuesday to Thursday, GOtv will broadcast live action of some of the big matches.  Here are the key matches you can access on GOtv:

Benfica vs Barcelona: The Catalans go to Portugal knowing a win will seal their qualification spot. But the job won’t be easy. Benfica have all to play for in this tie. With 10 points from their first 6 matches,  only a win can keep them in a favourable position for the playoff spot. Watch this intriguing tie live on GOtv channel 65 at 9 pm tonight.

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Leverkusen: This heavy-weight clash will be live on GOtv channel 64, tonight at 9 pm. Leverkusen are 4th in the table while Atletico are 11th, just a point behind their visitors. The coveted top eighth finish will be at stake in this clash, as all big teams try to avoid the two extra matches that come with finishing below 8th position.

Real Madrid vs Salzburg:  The most successful team in UEFA Champions League history,  Real Madrid,  are in danger of crashing out in the group stage. Los Blancos sit 20th in the log and must win their remaining two matches, starting with this tie. Catch the action live on GOtv channel 64, at 9 pm on Wednesday.

Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb: With 5 teams tied on 13 points, the Gunners, though third in the table, know this is a perfect opportunity to solidify their claim to one of the top 8 slots. On the other hand, Dinamo Zagreb currently occupy the last playoff spot in the table, and thus have everything to play for.  With Arsenal in unstable form, this could be a banana pill for them. This match will be live on GOtv channel 65, at 9 pm on Wednesday.

AC Millan vs Girona: With 7 UEFA Champions League titles, AC Milan are the second most successful team in the competition. The Rosonerri are just a point outside the top 8, and a win against Girona will surely put them in the top 8 and a chance to steal a rounf-of-16 slot. Watch the action unfold live from San Siro at 9pm on Wednesday on GOtv channel 62.

Manchester United vs Rangers: This British derby will be the key match of matchday 7 in the Europa League. Manchester United are 7th, one point ahead of Rangers in 8th. The need to avoid the two extra playoff matches will make this feisty encounter which will broadcast on GOtv at 9 pm on Thursday.

Customers can take advantage of the Step-Up offer to enjoy more football action across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League, and Europa League.

GOtv subscribers on the Jolli package who upgrade to Max will be upgraded to the Supa package, while those upgrading to Supa will enjoy access to the Supa Plus package within 48 hours. The offer runs till March 31. Simply dial *288# to renew or upgrade your subscription.