January 2025: What mattered this month across Africa and beyond

January served up clear winners, surprise results and a reminder that sports and politics can shift fast. On this archive page you'll find short takeaways from the biggest stories we covered — quick, useful context so you can decide which full articles to read next.

Big sports moments you shouldn’t miss

Hull City stunned Sheffield United with a 3-0 win at Bramall Lane. That result broke Hull’s long run without an away victory since October and knocked a promotion favourite off-balance. The scoreline doesn’t just look good on paper — it changed the Championship race by lifting Hull’s morale and denting Sheffield United’s push for an instant Premier League return.

Cricket fans got action on two fronts. In Multan, Pakistan hosted West Indies for the first Test, marking the West Indies’ return after two decades away from Pakistan. Both sides are fighting to climb out of the bottom of the World Test Championship table, and injury absences forced each team to adjust their plans with recalled players. The match carried extra weight beyond the scoreboard — it mattered for standings, player form and the confidence of touring teams in the region.

In franchise cricket, Dewald Brevis lit up the pitch for MI Cape Town with a rapid 57 off 29 balls, helping set 174-7. Delano Potgieter and others backed that effort and MI Cape Town sealed a dominant 97-run victory. It was one of those innings that can change a young batter’s season and give the team momentum when it counts.

Politics: AU ambitions and a rare cross-party moment

In Nairobi, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed clarified the opposition’s focus around Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chair. Mohamed said the push is aimed at supporting Raila’s AU role — not primarily at coordinating domestic moves against President William Ruto. That stance matters because President Ruto’s endorsement shows an unusual cross-party alignment on an international platform. For Kenyan politics, backing a figure for a continental role shifts the conversation from immediate power struggles to influence at the regional level.

Each of these stories points to a bigger idea: single results or decisions can shift momentum fast — whether it's a football match that reshapes a table, a Test match that affects international rankings, a big innings that launches a player into the spotlight, or a political move that changes diplomatic priorities. If you want the full match reports, live-score coverage or the political breakdowns, click into the full articles from January 2025 on Africa Daily Insight.

Want more fast recaps like this? Bookmark the January 2025 archive and check back for deeper analysis and live updates as events develop.