Daily devotions is a phrase used to denote the discipline of Bible reading and prayer with which Christians start or end their day. Bible reading in daily devotions can take the form of a structured study using a devotional book or a simple reading of certain passages. Some people like to read through the Bible in a year. Prayer in daily devotions can include any or all of the different types of prayer—praise, confession, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession. Some people use prayer lists for their daily devotions. Others prefer to pray as they read the Word in an interactive manner, listening for God speaking to them through the Bible passages and responding in prayer. Whatever the format of daily devotions, the important thing is that our daily devotions, as the name implies, be truly devoted to God and occur daily.

It is important to spend time with God in daily devotions. Why? Paul explains: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The experience of having God’s light shine in our hearts comes in our times spent in the presence of God. Of course, this light comes only from knowing God through Christ. The marvelous treasure of the Holy Spirit is given to each Christian, and we need faith to believe and act upon that truth. In all reality, if we truly yearn to experience the light of our Lord, we will need to be with God every day.

Someone once said, “The gospel brings man to God; devotions keep him close to God.” The apostle James wrote, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:. As the children of God seek a closer relationship with God, they will find God is closer than ever. In their daily devotions, Christians seek to draw close to God’s heart, understand more about Him, obey His commands, and hold on to His promises. The impure and double-minded will have no such yearning in their hearts. In fact, they will seek to separate themselves from God as much as possible.

In daily devotions, we want to draw near to God. The expression “draw near” was originally associated with the priesthood in Israel. Under the regulations of the Old Covenant, the priests represented the people before God. However, prior to approaching God’s presence, the priest had to be washed physically and be ceremonially clean. This meant he had to bathe, wear the proper garments, and offer the proper sacrifices. His own heart had to be right with God. Then he could “draw near” to God on the people’s behalf. In time, the concept of “drawing near” was applied to anyone who approached God’s presence in worship and prayer.

The sincere believer knows that God wants His people to draw near to Him with true and pure hearts, and that’s what daily devotions are all about. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). This verse applies the language of the Old Testament ceremonial system to us today. Just as those ancient priests prepared themselves to be near God, we also should prepare ourselves spiritually to worship Him, whether in formal worship or in our personal devotional times.

After salvation, thespiritual growthbegins. The believer will, like Enoch, naturally want to walk with God (Genesis 5:22). He will, like Asaph, desire to be near God (Psalm 73:28). He will, like the disciples, yearn to pray effectively (Luke 11:1). In short, the child of God will want to find time for daily devotions.

Chelsea have in recent months looked like Premier League champions. The Blues have a highly impressive record 15 wins from their last 17 league games, having only slipped up at fellow top four teams Tottenham and Liverpool.
Last time out the champions-elect were held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield by Liverpool. It could have been a far more profitable trip to Merseyside had star striker Diego Costa not missed a late penalty kick.
On Saturday lunchtime Antonio Conte’s side face another top-four rival in the shape of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. A win would put the Blues 12 points clear of the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table.
A Chelsea win would also heap massive pressure on the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool who play later on Saturday. A Blues win looks like a very likely result, considering they have recorded victories in their last eight home outings in the Premier League.
That good run of form has been built on solid defensive foundations, as Conte’s team have kept clean sheets in six of their last eight league games at the Bridge .
Arsenal head into this massive clash having suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at home against Watford last time out. The Hornets established a two-goal lead after just 13 minutes and the Gunners got a goal back in the second half through Alex Iwobi.
However, they could not find an equaliser and slipped further behind the Blues in the race for the Premier League crown. The Gunners do have a decent away record in the top-flight, suffering just two defeats in their last 16 games on their travels.
Arsene Wenger’s side have a poor recent record against Chelsea, though, winning just two of the last 12 meetings with the Blues in all competitions. However, one of those wins came earlier this season at the Emirates Stadium.

This Tuesday sees arguably the biggest match of the season to date in the Premier League, as Liverpool Welcome Chelsea to Stamford Bridge. For the visitors, a point would be more than enough to keep them as favourites to win the title this season but for Liverpool, they must win this match to remain in the title race.
2017 has been a terrible for Liverpool , who have won only one of their eight matches in all competitions. Jurgen Klopp’s team were dumped out of the FA Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers on the weekend, which was their third defeat in a row at Anfield. Many Liverpool fans will point to the weakened starting XI fielded by Klopp but the fact the German introduced the trio of Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge in the second half, showed he wanted to win the game. Regardless of the stature of the competition, another home defeat was the last thing this Liverpool team needed, especially before a crucial game against the top team in the Premier League.
Chelsea had no such problem in their FA Cup fourth round game, comfortably defeating Brentford 4-0 at home. Antonio Conte also fielded a team missing several regular starters but this did not stop Chelsea from cruising through the match and the goal for Michy Batshuayi will be a good confidence boost for the Belgian striker, although he is sure to be on the bench at Anfield.
Talking about Anfield and the stadium was turning into a place where Liverpool fans could guarantee a good performance and win this season but that’s changed dramatically in the last few weeks. They have lost three and drawn one of their last four home games, including a 3-2 defeat to Swansea in the Premier League and 1-0 defeat to Southampton, which saw them eliminated from the League Cup at the semi-final stage. It’s now been just two clean sheets from the last seven home matches in all competitions for Liverpool.
Having lost at Tottenham 2-0 in the league, Chelsea have responded very well by winning their last four games. Straight forward wins in the league against Leicester have been backed up with FA Cup victories over Peterborough and Brentford. Chelsea have conceded only one goal during those four games and away from home, they have won seven of the last eight Premier League games. Therefore, Chelsea should be arriving at Anfield full of confidence , knowing they can take a huge step towards the title by winning the match and all but ending Liverpool’s quest for silverware this season.
Given the current form of the two teams and the way Liverpool’s fans were reacting after the loss to Wolves, there appears to be only one possible winner from this game and that’s Chelsea. The fact it is a huge game may bring more out of the Liverpool players than we have seen in recent weeks but it’s impossible to turn on a great performance like a switch, having played so poorly in recent games. Chelsea will not run away with it but should leave with maximum points, perhaps by a one goal margin.

Augustus Taiwo “Tai” Solarin was a Nigerian educator, social critic and philanthropist. An avowed atheist, his unique clothing style inspired some people to describe him as a “village eccentric” rather than as the renowned intellectual he truly was.

Early Life

Tai Solarin was born on August 20, 1922 in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State. He and his twin sister, Caroline Kehinde Solarin, were the only children of Daniel Solarin, a drummer, farmer and palm wine tapper, and Rebecca Okufule Solarin. He was educated at St James School, Iperu-Remo for three months and Wesley School, Ogere-Remo (both in Ogun State) from 1927 to 1929. He attended Otapete Methodist Primary School in Ilesha, Osun State from 1930 to1931 where he completed his Standard Six Certificate. He then enrolled at Wesley College in Ibadan, Oyo State for his Higher Elementary (Grade Two) Teacher’s Certificate from 1933 to 1936. Solarin married Sheila Mary Tuer in Manchester, England on September 14, 1951 and they had two children (a boy and a girl).

Teaching Career

Solarin taught at the Methodist Primary Schools in Ago Iwoye and Sagamu (both in Ogun State) from 1937 to 1941. He also served as a typist at the Nigeria Customs Office. In May 1942, Solarin went to England as a volunteer in the British Royal Air Force during World War II, where he was trained to become a navigator. After his discharge in April 1945 from the Force, he enrolled at the University of Manchester in 1946, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Geography in 1949. In 1950, Solarin earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of London’s Institute of Education. He taught Yoruba as an assistant lecturer from 1950 to 1951 at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Solarin relocated to Nigeria in 1951. He was immediately appointed the new principal of Molusi College in Ijebu-Ogbo, Ogun State, from 1952 to 1955. He disagreed with Molusi College’s governing body over the policy of opening each school day with hymns and prayers and taking the students to church on Sundays. Solarin later ordered that copies of the Songs of Praise used by the students be confiscated and that if the students would not compose their own songs, then there would be no more singing in the school. This led to the students creating the Melodious Molusian, an unorthodox hymn book which discarded songs that called on God to help people rather than rely on hard work.

The school board, horrified, forced Solarin to resign in January 1955. He moved on to open the first secular school in Nigeria in partnership with his wife. Mayflower School in Ikenne, Ogun State was founded in January 27, 1956. Solarin served as its principal for twenty years. The institution’s primary arm − Mayflower Junior School − was opened in 1959. He retired in 1976 and established the Student’s Second Home in 1977, a boarding house which still serves over two thousand students from the three public high schools in Ikenne town.

Writing Career

Solarin started writing regular columns for two national newspapers, the Daily Times and Nigerian Tribune, in 1958 and 1967 respectively. He was also a contributor for the Guardian and several other papers. Solarin routinely wrote over thirty articles a year and is said to be the only known Nigerian columnist to have had a continuously running column for over twenty years. As a columnist he relentlessly accused the Nigerian military government and the Church of corruption.

Tai Solarin published several books including Towards Nigeria’s Moral Self-Government, Thinking With You, A Message for Young Nigerians , Timeless Tai and To Mother With Love.

Social Critic

In 1979, Tai Solarin adopted what he referred to as permanent “battle dress” after his visit to densely populated China where he discovered that almost hundred per cent Chinese children were in school as against less than twenty-five in Nigeria. In protest, Tai swore to only appear in public in a pupil’s school uniform of khaki shorts, short-sleeved shirts and “knowledge is light” cap pending when the subsequent government will address the issue of sending every Nigerian child to school.

Solarin had several confrontations with the government due to his unpopular political views, which resulted in his being incarcerated. He was arrested by Yakubu Gowon’s military administration for his verbal attack on Gowon for a lavish state-sponsored wedding party in the middle of the Nigeria-Biafran Civil War and was locked up for forty-eight hours. In 1974, he attacked the Gowon government again for reneging on the promise to return power to a civilian authority. To drive home his position, Tai stood by the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to distribute fliers bearing a statement he had crafted on the matter; the government responded by imprisoning him for thirty-two days. Amnesty International, on more than one occasion, declared Tai “a prisoner of conscience.”

His criticism became even more fervent during Shehu Shagari’s rule. Every Sunday, Tai would go to Campus Square in Lagos – which he later renamed Freedom Square – to abuse the administration. In March 1984, during the Buhari-Idiagbon regime, Tai was again arrested at his Ikenne home and incarcerated at Abeokuta Prisons for “acts prejudicial to state security” for eighteen months.

Death

Tai Solarin died at the age of 72 on June 27, 1994 in the town of Ikenne, Ogun State. Before he died, he wrote the inscription on his tombstone which reads: “Here lies Tai Solarin, who lived and died for humanity.”

Awards

In 1971 Tai Solarin was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in literature by Alma College, Michigan.
In November 1995, the National Universities Commission of Nigeria formerly recognized the Tai Solarin University of Educationin Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State as the first specialised university of education in Nigeria. He was also recognised by Lagos State with the establishment of the Tai Solarin Hospitals in Mushin and Apapa, the Tai Solarin Memorial School in Amuwo-Odofin, and a statue of himself at Sabo in Yaba…OGA TASERE LIVES ON

Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need (turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track, but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond (positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job 31:1 states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites, conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, substituting godly pursuits and mindsets for sinful thoughts. This is the principle of replacement. When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you", then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on” godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds (Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations, and God’s promises for His children are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit’s power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others. May God make Jesus’ description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

A philosophical Venus Williams revealed she was grateful to be out competing in a grand slam final again despite her loss to Serena.
Serena moved to her 23rd title after a straight set win in the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Venus – who had not played in a grand slam final since 2009 where she lost to her sister – was happy to be back on the big stage.
“It was great to have an opportunity to play for the title,” the 36-year-old said in her post-match press conference.
“That’s exactly where I want to be standing during these Grand Slams, is on finals day, having an opportunity. That’s the highlight of all this, is to be in that moment.
“I don’t think I felt at all awkward. I felt ready. I mean, I haven’t played in a final for a number of years, but I don’t think it’s something you forget. I mean, I played a good amount of ’em, so…
“I feel like I had opportunities…I just missed some shots. But it’s not like I missed shots that I wasn’t going for. I went for those shots. It’s a matter of inches.
“Some errors here or there can mean the difference between a break of serve or a hold.”
In terms of Serena’s record breaking win, Venus reminded everyone that her sister isn’t done yet…
“It’s a great number,” said Venus of Serena’s 23 slams.
“I know she would like to have a little more. Who wouldn’t? It was a great moment. I’m very happy that she’s been able to, you know, get to No.23 because there’s 22 ahead of that that she also earned, and she earned it.”

Cancel any other plans you may have had for Sunday. The contest so many had yearned for is actually happening.
More than five and a half years since they last met in a grand slam final, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will go head-to-head on Sunday with the Australian Open title at stake.
Matches between these two modern-day greats have always been eagerly anticipated, given their immense pedigree and raft of classic past meetings, but both players have acknowledged the extra-special nature of their upcoming clash.
Last October, Federer helped his friend and rival open the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, at a time when both players were sidelined by injuries and seemingly facing an uphill battle to recapture past glories.
After edging out Grigor Dimitrov in an epic semi-final on Friday, Nadal said: "In that moment, for sure, we never thought that we had the chance to be, again, in a final, and especially the first of the year.
"It's great that we are in a moment like this again."
Even as recently as a fortnight ago, the prospect of Federer and Nadal contesting the men's singles final on Rod Laver Arena appeared slim at best.
Six-time champion Novak Djokovic and world number one Andy Murray had met in the last two Australian Open deciders, the Serbian prevailing on each occasion, and the duo's dominance in 2016 meant a repeat showdown was widely anticipated.
In contrast to the top two in the ATP rankings, Federer and Nadal were each hampered by fitness issues last year, the Swiss enduring a particularly lengthy lay-off that resulted in him receiving the unfamiliar seeding of 17th for this tournament.
Nadal is ninth in the rankings, yet he and Federer have looked a class apart at Melbourne Park and a dream final now awaits.
Ever since Djokovic and Murray suffered shock first-week exits, the idea of Federer and Nadal setting up a ninth meeting in a slam final prompted growing excitement.
Such a scenario was far from inevitable, particularly with the likes of world number three Milos Raonic and US Open champion Stan Wawrinka - the only men other than Djokovic and Murray to reach slam finals in 2016 - also hoping to capitalise.
Yet Raonic was clinically brushed aside by Nadal on Wednesday and the seemingly ageless Federer overcame a gutsy fightback to deny Wawrinka in thrilling fashion 24 hours later and claim his second five-set win of the tournament - an outstanding effort from a player not long back from six months on the sidelines.
Federer's thrilling victory over his compatriot meant only Dimitrov stood in the way of a glorious rivalry being renewed. On Friday, the in-form Bulgarian produced a magnificent display - full of heart, nerve and, above all, an abundance of skill - to push Nadal all the way.
It was the Spaniard who prevailed, however, and he will now hope to repeat his 2009 Australian Open final victory over Federer - a memorable triumph that saw the vanquished man reduced to tears.
Since that meeting eight years ago, Federer and Nadal have met only once with one of their sport's major prizes up for grabs - the 'King of Clay' triumphing at Roland Garros in 2011 to improve his head-to-head record in slam finals against Federer to 6-2.
That statistic is reflective of Federer's general struggles against Nadal - the 35-year-old has lost 23 of their 34 career meetings - including their last six in slams. In addition, his record against Nadal at Melbourne Park consists of no wins and three defeats.
Should Federer buck that trend on Sunday to claim a fifth Australian Open title, it would arguably represent the greatest triumph of his illustrious career. And the same argument could also be made for Nadal, who has the incentive of closing to within two titles of Federer's record haul in slams.
Yet regardless of the outcome, one thing is sure. This is a match not to be missed.
"Of course, everyone is going to see that final now, including me," said a gracious Dimitrov following his painful semi-final exit at the hands of Nadal.
"I'm going to watch it for sure. It's great for the sport."
Asked who he expects to win, Dimitrov replied: "I just know that two of the greatest players of tennis are going to square off on Sunday, and it's going to be a freakin' amazing match."
What more could you ask for?

The FA Cup has been dismissed as a tournament the big teams are no longer interested in winning. Compared to the Premier League and the money involved for qualifying for the Champions League or avoiding relegation, the FA Cup is low down on the priorities at the start of the season.
It’s interesting then, how Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have won seven of the last eight FA Cup tournaments, which shows it must mean something to the big clubs after all. This season, it could mean a lot to Manchester City , who are struggling to win the Premier League and travel to Crystal Palace in the fourth round.
The FA Cup will come as a pleasant distraction to the Premier League for both clubs and Crystal Palace are still looking for their first league win under Sam Allardyce. Palace have lost their last four Premier League games but defeated Bolton in the third round of the FA Cup, the only tournament which has given the fans something to cheer about in recent weeks.
Allardyce will be hoping Christian Benteke can give the
Manchester City defence another afternoon to forget. Defensively, City have been poor for most of the season and it seems unlikely they are going to keep a clean sheet in this game. Pep Guardiola went all out attack in the league match against Tottenham last weekend and it looked to be working, as his team went 2-0 up. However, the same old problems came back to haunt them, as Spurs pulled two goals back to rescue a point from the match.
However, Guardiola will take one look at Palace’s defensive record and his eyes will light up. The Eagles have kept only one clean sheet in their last 23 games against teams from the top flight and with a full-strength team, City should have no problem in breaking down the hosts. Therefore, this should be a game full of goals and very entertaining for the neutral. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in five of the last six meetings between these teams and this is every chance it will happen again.
The FA Cup is Manchester City’s best chance of winning silverware this season and they will not want to be eliminated from the competition at this early stage. To finish the season without a trophy will be deemed a disaster and the pressure is on for City’s multi-million-pound squad to deliver. There will be a great atmosphere at Selhurst Park, as the home players and fans enjoy a break from the Premier League. If Palace can remain in the match beyond the 70-minute mark, they have every chance of winning the game. If Manchester City take the lead early, it could be a long afternoon for the home fans, as they can take teams apart, as shown in the previous round at West Ham.
Crystal Palace have the players to make it very uncomfortable for Manchester City defensively but the away team have the extra talent to make a difference. Expect City to win this, with both teams scoring.

The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations has reached the quarter-finals stage and with the groups complete, the tournament is now pure knock-out, there are no second chances.
Not one team managed to maintain a 100% record in the group stages. Ghana had the opportunity to do that but lost their final match to Egypt, 1-0 and this saw them drop to second place in Group D and set up a meeting with DR Congo, who were impressive in topping Group C.
With 6 goals to their name, DR Congo are the joint top goal scorers in the competition and come up against a Ghana team who have found the back of net just twice in three games and could be missing Asamoah Gyan. Ghana are the bookmaker’s favourites for this game but with leading scorer, Junior Kabananga in their ranks, DR Congo have what it takes to win this match.
Egypt progressed to the quarter-finals without conceding a goal , although they only managed to score two goals themselves. They will take on a Morocco team who defeated Ivory Coast in their final group game, to ensure qualification. However, Ivory Coast were poor in that match and Egypt should present a much tougher test of Morocco’s credentials.
Having missed the previous three Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt look determined to win the tournament they won three times in a row between 2006 and 2010. Expect to see the Egyptians in the semi-final, where they will play the winners of the match between Burkina Faso and Tunisia.
Tunisia needed only a draw in their final group game to make the quarter-finals but went through in style thanks to a 4-2 victory over Zimbabwe. It was the win over Algeria, in the second round of matches which set-up Tunisia nicely for the chance to progress and they have scored 6 goals in their last two games in the tournament.
However, they come up against a Burkina Faso team who have shown a stubbornness not to be beaten. Despite drawing their first two matches, they defeated Guinea Bissau in their final group game, which saw them progress and end the hopes of the host, Gabon. This has the makings of a very tight game and one which could go all the way to extra-time and penalties.
The final quarter-final is between Senegal and Cameroon . The Senegalese have been the team of the tournament in the group stages and qualified for the quarter-finals before their final match against Algeria, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Senegal will have the likes of Sadio Mane back for the match against Cameroon, having been rested in final group game and they are strongly fancied to see off a Cameroon team, who failed to defeat both Burkina Faso and Gabon in Group A.
There are plenty of goals in this Senegal team and Cameroon will struggle to keep them out, resulting in a comfortable win for the Lions of Teranga and a place in the semi-final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Derby County have been in decent form through to December under new manager Steve McClaren but that form took a nose dive once January hit, as they won 2 and lost 2 of those games; losing away to Norwich and Leeds who are pretty decent sides with good quality away. But they managed to beat West Brom in the last round of the competition, and will want to build on that as well as their strong 3-2 win over Reading this past weekend that should help them get motivated in this game. Derby haven't lost in any of their last 5 home games, with 4 wins and a draw and Derby will have seen Leicesters away record and feel confident of grabbing a victory in this game. They will rely a lot on the likes of Darren Bent, Tom Ince, Bradley Johnson and the newly signed David Nugent as well.
Leicester have been absolutely atrocious away from home without a single win in England away, and with their struggles in the league seeing them now sit in 15th spot. Leicester have not found the right motivation to keep themselves interested in domestic affairs as they are continuing on their fairytale run in the UEFA Champions League. Leicester's biggest struggle actually has come in scoring goals, which they did with such aplomb last year. They have only netted 24 goals in 22 games, with just 8 goals in 11 away from home. Defensively they have struggled conceding 37 goals all season and 24 goals in 11 away games so far. Leicester will rotate their defense to give some players a rest with the Premier League encounter against Burnley which is a 6-pointer for them at this stage of the season.

The top three clubs in La Liga all play live on Sky this weekend - but how close is the title race?
Real Madrid smashed the Spanish record earlier this month after going 40 games unbeaten in all competitions and are currently top of La Liga.
With the exception of four back-to-back draws starting in late September, Zinedine Zidane's men have hogged the La Liga summit this season.
Sergio Ramos' own goal helped Sevilla overturn a one-goal deficit
But Real's unbeaten record ended with a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla this month , followed by a 2-1 loss at the hands of Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey. As a result, Real are now only one point ahead of Sevilla in La Liga, but have one game in hand.
SEVILLA
Sevilla are this season's surprise title contenders, having only suffered three league defeats this term against Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona.
Jorge Sampaoli's side have won three successive Europa League trophies, having defeated Liverpool in the final last year, and are looking to be crowned league champions for the first time since 1945/46.
BARCELONA
Meanwhile, Barcelona are hunting their third successive league title, but are currently third in La Liga - one point behind Sevilla and two adrift of El Clasico rivals Real.
Having started the season in typical style, thrashing Real Betis 6-2, the Catalans dropped three points against Alaves in September before drawing 1-1 with Atletico Madrid later that month, followed by a surprise 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo in October.
Barcelona's MSN strikeforce has once again been prolific in front of goal this season
In November, Luis Enrique's men lost 3-1 to Manchester City, managed by former boss Pep Guardiola, in the Champions League and have drawn four league games since.
ATLETICO MADRID
However, Spain's third powerhouse club Atletico have also been misfiring and currently sit fourth in the league - six points behind Barca.
Atletico kicked off their league campaign with back-to-back draws against Alaves and Leganes - a glimpse of what was to come.
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann (left) has been linked with a move to Manchester United
Having drawn 1-1 with Barcelona in September, Diego Simeone's men suffered defeats to Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Villarreal and drew 0-0 with Espanyol before the festive break.
But how do the four La Liga contenders differ on the pitch? We have looked at the stats to compare each teams strengths and weaknesses...
ATTACK
The usual suspects top the goalscoring chart, with Barca's Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who turned 30 on Tuesday, netting 15 goals each, while Neymar has only scored five.
Real's FIFA The Best winner Cristiano Ronaldo leads the chart for Real with 12 goals, followed by Sergio Ramos (six) and Gareth Bale - who has scored five despite missing the last six games with an ankle injury.
Atletico's most prolific forward has been Antoine Griezmann, who has found the net eight times and has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
Wissam Ben Yedder has scored eight league goals for Sevilla this season
Sevilla's top scorer is summer signing Wissam Ben Yedder on eight goals, hitting a hat-trick against David Moyes' former club Real Sociedad earlier this month.
Barcelona have scored 51 league goals from 19 league games - more than Real (48), Sevilla (42) and Atletico (34).
Beside goals, the stats reveal Los Blancos domination across the front-line, leading their rivals for aerial threat with the most crosses and headed goals, as well as taking more shots, shots on target and winning more penalties.
DEFENCE
Atletico have struggled in front of goal but Diego Simeone's team have have once again proved their defensive resolve by conceding fewer goals and winning more duels, tackles, interceptions and aerials than the other three clubs.
Sevilla's lofty midseason league position has been boosted by 'keeper Sergio Rico, who has made more saves than his rival stoppers. The team from Andalusia have also been reprimanded by referees more than the other three clubs.
Barcelona have been the most error-prone of the leading pack, leaking four goals from mistakes at the back while Sevilla have only conceded one.
POSSESSION AND PASSING
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona have dominated possession again this season, averaging at 66.39 per cent, followed by Sevilla (60.12), Real Madrid (56.36) and Atletico (50.76).
Despite recording an average possession that rivals Barcelona, Sevilla are in fact the only club to have made more passes in their own half than in the opposition's half - which suggests a deeper style of possession football than the Catalans.
You can watch a host of live La Liga games on Sky this weekend. On Saturday, watch Eibar v Deportivo from 5.25 pm and Leganes v Celta Vigo from 7.40 on live on Sky Sports 1.
On Sunday, watch Real Betis v Barcelona from 10.55am live on Sky Sports 2 and Espanyol v Sevilla from 3.15pm, Athletic Bilbao v Sporting Gijon from 5.15pm and Real Madrid v Real Sociedad from 7.30pm live on Sky Sports 1.

What a difference a year makes for John Terry and Chelsea. When the FA Cup fourth round arrived 12 months ago, the London club was in disarray. A temporary manager was at the helm and the team were heading for a 10th-place finish in the Premier League.
Terry's contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Speculation about the club captain's future was rife. After Chelsea eased into the fifth round with a 5-1 victory over Milton Keynes Dons, the centre-back dropped a bombshell: He announced that the club had told him his deal would not be extended. He would leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign, even though he wanted to stay.
"It's not going to be a fairy-tale ending," he said. "I'm not going to retire at Chelsea."
The fans were in uproar. Outflanked by Terry's public-relations power play, the club responded by giving him an extra 12-month contract.
Almost a year on, Terry will likely lead the West London side against Brentford in this season's fourth round. Once again his deal is running down. Do not expect any dramatic announcements after this cup tie, though. Things have changed dramatically for the 36-year-old and the club he has represented since he was 14.
Terry will leave Chelsea soon. There are a number of willing suitors. After Chelsea manager Antonio Conte recalled Nathan Ake from his loan spell at Bournemouth,
Eddie Howe reportedly tried to tempt the former England captain
to the south coast until the end of the season. At least two other Premier League clubs are attracted by the idea of adding Terry's experience on a temporary basis to help in their relegation battle. Despite Conte's protestations that the defender will remain at Stamford Bridge after January, it would be no surprise if Terry heads elsewhere in search of playing time.
He will see little action on the pitch for Chelsea. Terry has not started a Premier League game since September, and his last league runout was as a late substitute in November. He was back in the team for the third round of the FA Cup against Peterborough United but was sent off after 66 minutes for bringing down Lee Angol.
The telling moment for Terry came before the Premier League match against Hull City. Although the Bridge's talisman was fit, the recalled Ake and Kurt Zouma took the defensive places on the bench ahead of Terry. Zouma ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament 11 months ago, but the 22-year-old has the pace and potential to be a long-term contributor at centre-back for Conte's side. Terry is so far down the pecking order, it is hard to see a way back.
A year ago Chelsea needed the captain's leadership abilities. In the aftermath of Jose Mourinho's dismissal, the club lacked direction. Those qualities are not necessary now. Conte has restored a sense of purpose to Stamford Bridge and has created an aura of authority that makes Terry's dressing-room influence less important.
All this makes it likely that he will look elsewhere. Terry's desire to play is still extremely strong. Previous Chelsea managers, especially the temporary incumbents, found him difficult to deal with, especially when he was not in the team. The determination that makes him such an effective competitor on the pitch can manifest itself differently when he is out of the side. In the past, managers could expect an unhappy Terry to be constantly knocking their office doors when the defender was sidelined. Even when returning from injury, the Londoner would be keen to rush back into action, earlier than some of his managers thought wise. He will not be enjoying his lack of participation under Conte.
With Chelsea eight points clear in the title race, it is a tempting prospect to think that Terry might stay around in anticipation of bowing out with another Premier League medal. However, his craving to be part of the action was illustrated when he joined the Champions League-winning celebrations in Munich in 2012 in full playing kit despite being suspended for the victory on penalties over Bayern Munich. That act heaped much derision on the defender, but it was a reflection of his driving need to be involved where the spotlight is at its most intense and the duelling most frantic: on the pitch.
Watching Chelsea from the sidelines will be difficult for Terry, even if the team are brushing aside opponents and romping toward another title.
If Conte is right and Terry remains at the club, the captain will spend the next few months largely as a spectator. There is little chance of another contract, so if he stays for now, he will very likely leave the Bridge in the summer.
Chelsea needed Terry a year ago. They are in a stronger position now. He will always be one of the club's greats, but his time as a player -- at least at the level Conte needs -- is coming to an end.

Did he actually completed his B. Sc @ UI or OAU?

Noted