The first international break of 2025 sees a resumption of Africa's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, with the leading teams looking to take a major step towards the finals as we pass the halfway stage of the 10-game program.
There's plenty to get excited about, with African legends such as Aliou Cissé and Benni McCarthy each set to debut in a new job, while Nigeria will hope they've finally found the right man to lead the Super Eagles in Mali reject Eric Chelle.
Here are the big talking points ahead of the international break.
Chelle era begins, but Nigeria are in trouble
"Nigeria head coach" might be the most precarious position in African football, with Jose Peseiro, Finidi George, Augustine Eguavoen and (almost) Bruno Labbadia each holding the reins at times over the past few years.
Peseiro took the Super Eagles to the Africa Cup of Nations final last year, but none of the other recent incumbents have impressed; the West African giants are in desperate need of a steady pair of hands and a well-rounded head coach who can get the best out of this multi-talented generation.
The likes of Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface and reigning African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman certainly deserve at least that, but the appointment of Ivory Coast-born former Mali international Eric Chelle was something of an anti-climax after the likes of Hervé Renard had been named as potential replacements for Finidi.
Chelle, 47, had a fairly mediocre playing career, with five international caps accompanying a career spent predominantly in the French lower leagues, and he was dismissed by Mali after their poor start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.
CAF World Cup Qualifying Campaign: Standings | Complete Fixtures
Chelle's reputation for expansive football has fueled hope that he can maximise Nigeria's rich attacking talent, but a lack of pedigree at this level will quickly count against the coach if he starts slowly.
The head coach enters a very difficult situation: The Super Eagles are winless after four matches, and have just three points -- four off Group C's top two, Rwanda and South Africa.
There's time for them to turn things around, but it's imperative that Chelle stops the rot and the three-time African champions Nigeria prove during this international break that they can rank among the continent's dominant forces.
Which other heavyweights are in danger?
Perennial underachievers Mali face a big international break, as they look to make up a four-point gap to Ghana, currently second in Group I, and pool leaders Comoros.
Mali have improved since Chelle's underwhelming start to the campaign; under ex-Gambia boss Tom Saintfiet, they were undefeated in securing Nations Cup qualification, and they'll see this as an opportunity missed if they cannot push for a maiden World Cup place.
Former qualifiers Togo and Congo DR are both out of the qualification places in Group B, and while the former may have too much to do -- they're five points behind second-placed Senegal -- DRC can put themselves back into contention with victory over South Sudan on Friday.
Familiar faces return as Emerse Faé looks to end the wait
Last year was career defining for Emerse Faé, as he took over Ivory Coast during the early stages of their disastrous-looking AFCON campaign on home soil then inspired the Elephants to clinch the title in February's final in Ebimpe in front of their adoring fans. That success saw him duly named CAF 2024 Coach of the Year.
The next challenge for a young manager who can do no wrong -- he's already secured AFCON qualification -- is to return the Elephants to the World Cup having missed both the Russia and Qatar editions.
Africa's champions deserve to be representing the continent in 2026, and the West African heavyweights lead Group F ahead of matches with Burundi and Gambia.
With several key absentees, including Jean-Michaël Seri, Seko Fofana and Odilon Kossounou, Faé has turned to some forgotten faces.
Jean-Philippe Gbamin has played just three times for the national side since 2019, with his career unravelling due to injury, but he's been handed a recall, as has Sébastien Haller. Fit (if not yet firing) at FC Utrecht, does the 30-year-old AFCON hero have one last run in him at international level?
New challenge for Aliou Cissé
Out of work since being somewhat harshly dumped as Senegal head coach, Cissé finds himself back in rotation after being given the reins of Libya only a week before the international break.
The 48-year-old -- part of Senegal's legendary 2002 generation -- oversaw the Teranga Lions' first Nations Cup success when they defeated Egypt in the 2022 final, but the West Africans failed to build on that success and he was relieved of his duties by the sports ministry in October.
Libya, who failed to qualify for this year's AFCON, were something of a strange choice for the West African, with the Mediterranean Knights never before appointing a coach from outside North Africa or Europe.
His appointment represents a coup for the 1982 AFCON runners-up, and if Cissé can inspire his new charges -- ranked No. 118 in the world -- to the World Cup, it might arguably be a greater feat than his Nations Cup triumph with Senegal.
"What interests me here is the sporting project," Cissé said after his appointment. "I am a man of projects, and if it was for the money, I'd be elsewhere. What brings me here is the motivation to coach a team that hasn't qualified for the AFCON in 12 years.
"I want supporters, players, people who love football, to feel what it's like for Libya to be at the Nations Cup. We don't just want to follow it on TV anymore; we want Libya to be among the teams who are there."
The adventure begins with fixtures against Angola, on Thursday, and Cameroon, five days later.
Nsue returns
This international break should mark the return to action of Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue, whose career with the Nzalang Nacional appeared to have come to an end last year.
The veteran attacker starred at AFCON in Ivory Coast, winning the Golden Boot after scoring five goals as the central Africans reached the round of 16.
Only months after that career high, however, he received news of a FIFA ruling that he was ineligible to play for Equitorial Guinea after failing to receive official approval to switch from representing Spain, the land of his birth, at the start of his senior international career.
Nsue's change in allegiance was belatedly validated this month -- just 12 years after making his international debut -- with the door opened for him to end his one-year banishment from the camp.
He has a major mission ahead of him.
The Equatoguineans had to forfeit their first two matches as a result of the controversy -- resulting in 3-0 losses to Namibia and Liberia -- and they're five points off the pace with six matches to play.
Could Nsue, who was accused by FIFA of playing despite knowing he was ineligible, now inspire Juan Micha's side back into contention?
Benni makes his bow
Benni McCarthy was heralded as Africa's next great coaching talent, as he restored Marcus Rashford and helped the Manchester United striker rediscover his scoring boots, but his progress seemed to stutter at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag proved unable to achieve the desired success at United, and South Africa's all-time top scorer departed the club amid a backroom reshuffle at the end of the 2023-24 season.
McCarthy wanted to strike out on his own, as a head coach, but few expected his next position to be as head coach of Kenya. Without the Nations Cup to look forward to, World Cup qualification is McCarthy's proving ground, and a pair of qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon represents a stern early test.
"I'm thrilled to lead my first two World Cup qualifiers," McCarthy said ahead of the match. "I'm eager to work with the talented squad I've selected for the campaign. There's plenty of hard work and dedication ahead, but we're ready to embrace the challenge as a team."