The first international break of the 2024-25 season marks the beginning of the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying campaign proper, as the continent's biggest sides start off on the road to next year's tournament in Morocco.
Here are the major talking points, the fixtures to watch, and some of the new faces set to earn their first caps during the international break.
Nigeria's coaching fiasco
After the heights of reaching the AFCON final in Abidjan, the Super Eagles' year took a turn for the worse during the June break with a draw against South Africa and a defeat by Benin that's left them up against it as they look to reach the 2026 World Cup.
Jose Peseiro left after the Nations Cup, then Eagles legend Finidi George was appointed as head coach only to be moved upstairs two matches into a two-year contract. Well-travelled German coach Bruno Labbadia had appeared set to become the credible -- if unlikely -- successor last week only for the deal to fall through last-minute due to a disagreement over payment of tax according to Nigerian Football Federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
It's another humiliating episode for the West African giants, who have had to appoint former international defender and technical director Augustine Eguavoen as interim head coach -- his fourth stint in the role -- for the AFCON qualifiers.
A home game against banana-skin Benin, overseen by former Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, and a trip to Rwanda on Tuesday have rarely looked so perilous for the three-time African champions.
Saintfiet returns
Belgian head coach Tom Saintfiet bade adieu to African football in January following the Gambia's elimination from the AFCON.
He was appointed by the Philippines a month later, but reportedly with a clause in his contract allowing him to return to Africa if one of the continent's national sides came calling.
That team proved to be Mali, perhaps the great underachievers of the African game, who, after parting ways with Eric Chelle, opted for the Belgian ahead of the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Hector Cuper.
The 51-year-old knows his way around the African game, having coached in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi and beyond, although his achievements across six years with tiny Gambia -- taking the minnows to their first AFCON, reaching the quarterfinals, then returning earlier this year -- is surely his crowning achievement.
With Mali, the top African side never to have reached the World Cup or to have won the AFCON, Saintfiet has the opportunity to take his globe-trotting coaching career to new heights.
They face Mozambique on Friday, before travelling to Eswatini next Tuesday.
Ivorian title defence begins without Haller, Sangare
Seven months on from their unthinkable title triumph on home soil, as the Ivory Coast came back from the grave -- and the departure of head coach Jean-Louis Gasset -- to clinch continental gold under rookie interim manager Emerse Fae, their title defence begins in Bouake.
The Elephants, with Fae now permanently at the helm, begin their qualifying campaign at home against Zambia on Friday, before meeting Chad in neutral Cameroon next Tuesday.
They'll be without two of the stars of that unforgettable success, with Sébastien Haller, who played such a key role in the latter stages of that success, and Ibrahim Sangaré both injury absentees.
Nonetheless, with the likes of Franck Kessié, Simon Adingra, Amad Diallo all present, as well as uncapped Benie Traore and Mario Dorgeles, the Ivorians will be strong favourites to progress from Group G.
Bafana's Broos already pointing the finger
Testy Belgian coach Hugo Broos had appeared to patch up his relationship with the South African Football Association earlier this year, when he oversaw Bafana Bafana's run to the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal.
However, with the qualifying campaign for the 2025 event now beginning, the ex-Cameroon boss is yet again criticising the decision-makers in the domestic game.
He has a point that South Africa will be at a disadvantage heading into this week's fixtures, with a squad that has traditionally largely been picked from home-based players set to be short of match fitness in light of the PSL campaign's delayed resumption.
Indeed, it's been the best part of four months since the 23-24 domestic campaign came to an end, and while some players have been involved in the pre-season MTN8 competition, Bafana may not be as sharp as their Group K opponents.
"The PSL only starts now, in September, so it means we have players among us who didn't play very good games," Broos said. "Clubs who are not playing MTN8 or preliminary games for the Champions League or Confederation Cup are all playing friendlies against each other... but it's not the same.
"It annoys me a little bit, and will be for me to see how we can manage that. I think the most important thing is to have the right mentality."
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A 37-year-old debutant?
One of several players who could be making their international debut during the ongoing break is Angola's Ricardo Batista.
However, if you're assuming Batista is a bright young thing or a plucky talent at the start of his career, you'd be wrong.
The goalkeeper, currently on the books of Portuguese top flight side Casa Pia, will turn 38 later this year, but may now finally get the opportunity to become an international player.
Born in Setubal, Batista had been courted by the Angola federation before, and after rejecting Os Palancas Negras on several occasions, is now in contention to win his first cap.
He's joined by teenage fullback Pedro Bondo -- 18 years his junior -- who also has the opportunity to make his first international bow against Ghana on Thursday, or Sudan four days later.
Ghana without Ayew... until he scores 20 goals
For the second international break in a row, Ghana are without their most capped player, André Ayew, who has once again been overlooked by head coach Otto Addo.
On one hand, it's a fairly straightforward decision to make; Dede is without a club, having been released by Le Havre during the summer, and his lack of activity week in, week out is making it easy for Addo to give greater prominence to the squad's young players.
However, with 120 international appearances to his name, and having yet to officially declare his international retirement, the spectre of Dede will loom large until he either returns to the fold or calls it a day.
Addo isn't willing to rule out a possible return for the 34-year-old, but has said a high bar for the attacker to return to the national side.
"Ayew is a good player, but at the moment, he's not here," Addo said when he unveiled the Ghana squad. "He doesn't have a club, but nobody knows the future. "If he gets a club, performs, and scores 20 goals, maybe he can return, because we're building something."
Over to you then, Dede...
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Trouble brews for Eto'o in Cameroon
Yet again another international break rolls around for Cameroon and once again FA President Samuel Eto'o's high-profile indiscretions are the talk of the town.
In July, the legendary ex-striker was fined by the Confederation of African Football after being found guilty of violating the governing body's principles of ethics and integrity, while being cleared of manipulating matches.
Domestically, wounds haven't healed since head coach Marc Brys was appointed unilaterally by the country's ministry, ultimately leading to an altercation between Eto'o and the Belgian.
The rift has deepened ahead of this international break, with FECAFOOT and the sports ministry unable to agree on where the match against Namibia should be played or where the team should be lodged ahead of the fixture.
Five of the players, upon their arrival in Douala, were escorted by police to the hotel favoured by the Ministry of Sport, rather than the accommodation prearranged by the Federation, as the Indomitable Lions increasingly become pawns in this unedifying power struggle
Could Micho's Libya be the surprise package?
Amidst domestic turmoil and frequent interruption of sports in the North African country, Libya have failed to reach any of the last six AFCON tournaments.
During that period, they've won six out of 28 qualifiers, but being forced to play 'home' games away during the six-year civil war, and in the aftermath, has proved costly.
Now under ex-Orlando Pirates head coach Milutin Sredojevic, who ended Uganda's 38-year wait to return to the Nations Cup, Libya will fancy their chances of ousting two of Nigeria, Benin and Rwanda to progress.
They've lost just one of their last 15 matches in all competitions stretching back to June 2023, and only Cape Verde have got the better of the Mediterranean Knights since Micho arrived.