The Africa Cup of Nations: what a wonder. This is what happens when you combine some of the world’s best players, some of the world’s most forgettable managers and head coaches and some of the greatest fans in the world. It is a sort of wonderful chaos, unmissable viewing that veers from the sublime to the ridiculous. Where else can a former Birmingham City and Middlesbrough right-back – now 34 and playing in the third tier of Spanish football – become the leading scorer? In a preposterous turn of events, Emilio Nsue now has five goals from three games after his double helped Equatorial Guinea batter hosts Ivory Coast 4-0 on Monday, a sensational performance that followed his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau in the previous game.

Ivory Coast are on the brink of elimination, and now face an agonising wait until the final group-stage games to see if they can squeeze through as one of the four best third-placed teams. This year’s hosts have been humiliated in front of their own fans despite an embarrassment of riches – Franck Kessié, £70m-rated Ousmane Diomande, Nicolas Pépé, Nice’s Jérémie Boga and Brighton’s Simon Adingra to name but a few. Manager Jean-Louis Gasset left out Wilfried Zaha altogether, explaining he “already had an exciting squad that boasts of many right wingers”, ignoring the fact that the former Crystal Palace man has played left wing for almost all of his career.

Of course, any Ivory Coast team will always live in the shadow of legends. Memories of Yaya and Kolo Touré, Solomon Kalou and Didier Drogba are a blessing and a curse. The latter loomed large in the stands, as a glum Drogba watched the thrashing by Equatorial Guinea with all the enthusiasm of Carlos Valderrama at the barbers. “A nation like Ivory Coast cannot organise such a competition and get eliminated so early on,” sighed Drogba afterwards. “There is a real problem.”

Things are no better for Ghana, another heavyweight on the brink of an early exit following a miserable 2-2 draw with Mozambique – ranked 111th in the world rankings – in which the Black Stars, 2-0 up in stoppage time, conceded twice to ensure their winless run in Afcon was extended to seven matches. Chris Hughton has had a miserable time of it. Appointed only in February last year, the manager has been the subject of physical and verbal attacks by fans and journalists alike this tournament, and is expected to be sent sailing through a door marked Do One as soon as Ghana’s elimination is confirmed. Roll on Tuesday’s action, then, with Cameroon and Algeria – both currently third in their groups – among two other giants who could end up on the scrapheap by the end of play. Afcon remains as wild and unpredictable as ever.

Join Luke McLaughlin now for Afcon clockwatch coverage of The Gambia 1-2 Cameroon and Guinea 0-3 Senegal, while Niall McVeigh will be on deck at 8pm GMT for minute-by-minute updates from Chelsea 2-0 Middlesbrough (agg: 2-1) in the second leg of their Milk Cup semi-final.

“Olusosun is a small community close to a dump site … I used to go there to look for old boots that I could use to play. This is how I grew up. It was the culture for a lot of us in the community. I also used to sell bottled water on the streets of Lagos, to help my family earn a living. I knew that football was the only way to get them out of poverty, so I really invested my time and my life into this job. I am happy that it paid off. Getting my family out of poverty is my biggest win” – Victor Osimhen talks to Osasu Obayiuwana about his upbringing in Nigeria, his Afcon hopes and his future at Napoli.

I have two pedantic questions regarding yesterday’s excellent Memory Lane photograph of QPR teammates Stan Bowles and Ian Gillard posing on the back of a motorbike (full email edition). Is that a Honda CB750 F1? Can the rider and the passenger be ‘on the back’ of a motorcycle at the same time or does the Glenn Hoddle Constant of quantum mechanics apply?” – Pete Headland.

A la Ivan Toney (yesterday’s Football Daily), I hereby manifest that I receive the letter o’ the day” – Gerry Rickard.

Send any letters to [email protected]. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Pete Headland, who lands a copy of A Culture of Kits, published by Pitch Publishing and out to buy in early February. Visit their football book store here to pre-order a copy.

In this week’s newsletter – which has now gone twice weekly – the USWNT defender Naomi Girma talks about how losing teammate Katie Meyer to suicide led to a mental health movement for players. You can sign up to receive our women’s football email here.

Italy legend Gigi Riva, renowned for his ­extraordinary ­goalscoring ability and widely considered to be one of the greatest ­strikers of all time, has died aged 79.

English football has no plans to upgrade protocols dealing with ­racist abuse, despite Gianni Infantino calling for an automatic forfeit of games by teams whose fans cause an abandonment with their knuckle-headed behaviour.

Meanwhile, Udinese have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors after Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was racially abused on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson has been warned he could be sacked if Crystal Palace’s results don’t improve sharpish.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders says Mohamed Salah’s commitment to Egypt should never be questioned amid fierce criticism of the knacked forward’s exit from Afcon. “I never met a guy, and also a human being, who is more committed to the life of being a professional football player,” whooped Lijnders as Salah headed back to the Anfield treatment table.

Kalvin Phillips is on the verge of completing a loan switch to West Ham.

Scotland are clearly looking to build momentum before Euro 2024, having arranged June friendlies with Finland and Gibraltar.

Thomas Tuchel is looking for an upturn in Bayern Munich’s “passion, bite [and] enthusiasm” if they are to win a record-extending 12th title. “We remain below our expectations in the games,” he roared, before Wednesday’s match against Union Berlin. “We will keep demanding it until we are able to show that passion that hunger and greed.”

Brighton 0-0 Wolves. Let us leave it at that.

And it’s as you were at the top of the Championship – albeit with a slight lean in the favour of Southampton after Ipswich grabbed a late 1-1 draw at Leicester. “For me, it will be a race right until the end,” tooted Foxes boss Enzo Maresca before staring intently at Football Daily: “And don’t forget Leeds, the ­Championship is very long.”

Manifest this: it’s David Squires on … Ivan Toney’s return and the power of narrative.

With the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge resembling that of the moon in recent games, Mauricio Pochettino was asked whether drab Chelsea performances this season might have contributed to it. “We are paying now [for] the effect of 18 months,” parped Pochettino, before wiping away a bead of sweat from a neck starting to look a bit brassy. “We have been here for six months and ­sometimes for us it is difficult to ­compare. We are getting better results now. But the disappointment for the fans is from last season. It is a disappointment for a long period.” To be fair, it’s an argument Football Daily has used a few times when disgruntled readers have written in taking our gags to task. Blame The Fiver old regime for your long-standing disappointment, not us.

A fifth of Premier League clubs are being investigated for financial misconduct by the very body that enabled this unregulated free-for-all – it’s hard to stomach, writes Jonathan Liew.

There were 102 arrests the last time Chelsea met Middlesbrough in a crucial second leg, recalls Louise Taylor, and Michael Carrick’s side are chasing another shock.

Inter have won Supercoppa again but will the divisive Saudi trip prove costly, asks Nicky Bandini.

And is Mr Brobbey going to Manchester United? Find out in the Mill.

Phil Parkinson lets fly for Reading during their FA Cup third-round replay against non-league Cheltenham at Elm Park in January 1998. The Royals had dug out a 1-1 draw in the first meeting before edging the second 2-1, courtesy of goals from Trevor Morley and the magnificently monikered Martyn Booty.