Christmas Week Clean Sweep: 8 Winners Across AFCON, Ally Pally and Beyond

While most of the football world took a festive breather, the Africa Cup of Nations kicked into gear in Morocco and the PDC World Darts Championship lit up Alexandra Palace. Our members cleaned up across the board, landing eight from eight across four different sports in just 48 hours.

Super Eagles Soar in AFCON Opener

Nigeria's opening AFCON group game against Tanzania was always going to be about firepower. The Super Eagles arrived in Morocco with Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen leading the line, both former CAF Player of the Year winners with a point to prove after the disappointment of missing out on World Cup 2026 qualification.

Our Pre-Match Football analysis identified the Bet Builder at 3/1 before kick-off, combining Lookman 1+ first half shots, Osimhen 2+ shots on target, and Lookman 2+ shots on target. All three legs landed comfortably in a 2-1 victory.

Lookman was involved from the start, firing shots at goal before powering home a 25-yard screamer in the second half to seal the win. Osimhen, despite having a goal ruled out for offside, peppered the Tanzania defence with efforts throughout.

Pre-Match members also had Osimhen Over 2.5 Shots on Target at 9/4, with the Napoli striker finishing on three.

Lemina Delivers Off the Bench

The final Group F fixture saw Cameroon face Gabon in Agadir, with the Indomitable Lions arriving amid chaos involving FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto'o and a last-minute coaching change. Bryan Mbeumo's early goal settled Cameroon nerves, but our focus was elsewhere.

Mario Lemina came off the bench for Gabon in the second half, replacing Eric Bocoum as the Panthers chased an equaliser. Our Pre-Match Football selection had Lemina Over 1.5 Shots at 11/4, and the former Southampton and Wolves midfielder duly delivered with two efforts on goal.

Mahrez Masterclass in Rabat

Christmas Eve brought more AFCON action, with Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez reminding everyone why he won five Premier League titles. The former Manchester City winger, now with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, scored twice in an emphatic 3-0 victory over 10-man Sudan.

Our Bet Builder combined Algeria or Draw (Double Chance), Mahrez 2+ Shots on Target, and Over 0.5 Team Shots on Target in the first half at 11/8. Mahrez opened the scoring after just 82 seconds and added his second on 61 minutes. With a 30% winnings boost applied, the £50 stake returned £115.

Among the spectators in Rabat was Zinedine Zidane, whose son Luca started in goal for Algeria. The real star was Mahrez though, now the all-time leading Algerian scorer at AFCON with eight goals across six tournaments.

Madueke Peppers Benitez at the Emirates

The Carabao Cup quarter-final ended in a marathon penalty shootout with Arsenal eventually winning 8-7, but our focus was on Noni Madueke. The former Chelsea winger, making his first start in weeks, was priced at a generous 16/1 to record Over 2.5 Shots on Target.

Walter Benitez was the busiest man at the Emirates that evening. The Argentine shot-stopper denied Madueke time and time again, making at least three saves from the winger alone. Madueke finished with exactly three shots on target before being substituted for Bukayo Saka in the 67th minute, meaning this selection landed before Arsenal had even scored.

MVG Makes a Statement at Ally Pally

Over at Alexandra Palace, Michael van Gerwen was making a statement in his second-round clash against William O'Connor. The three-time world champion, runner-up to Luke Littler last year, averaged 100.20 and hit six 180s compared to O'Connor's solitary maximum in a convincing 3-1 victory.

Two selections, two winners. The Match Treble at 17/5 combined MVG to win, hit the most 180s, and record the highest checkout. The separate selection on 2+ 120+ Checkouts at 4/1 also came in, with van Gerwen closing sets with clinical 121 and 127 finishes.

US Racing Double Completes the Set

Rounding out the 48-hour run, our All Sports service delivered a Double at 5.88/1 from the US racing circuit. Sittin On Go landed at 7/4 at Delta Downs before Country Promises completed the job at 6/4 at Mahoning Valley.

Christmas Week Results

What's Next

AFCON 2025 continues through January with group stage and knockout rounds, and the PDC World Championship resumes on December 27 after the Christmas break. Our coverage spans football, darts, horse racing and more every single day.