The international friendly between Nigeria and Egypt has been moved from 14 to 16 December, according to Soccernet.ng, after a new FIFA directive forced both sides to revise their pre-AFCON plans.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) confirmed the new date on Friday, as reported by Ahram, with EFA Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly explaining that FIFA’s updated player-release circular had made the change unavoidable.
Under the revised global directive, clubs are now permitted to retain African players until 15 December, meaning neither Egypt nor Nigeria would have had access to a full squad for the original fixture.
Egypt Adjust Their AFCON Preparations
The Pharaohs had initially scheduled the match as part of their build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place from 21 December to 18 January in Morocco.
The shift was particularly important for Egypt, whose key players, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, can only join camp after the adjusted release window. Egypt, seven-time African champions, are chasing their first AFCON title since 2010 and have been drawn in Group B with South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.
Head coach Hossam Hassan named his 28-man preliminary squad earlier this week, with players gathering in Cairo on Wednesday for final preparations.
Nigeria Forced Into Late Overhaul
FIFA’s directive has caused even greater disruption for Nigeria. The Super Eagles were originally set to open camp in Cairo on 10 December, play warm-up fixtures, and then travel to Morocco. That entire timetable has now been abandoned.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has introduced a revised programme: the team will now open camp on 14 December, leaving Eric Chelle with barely a week to prepare before AFCON begins.
Nigeria will still face Egypt on 16 December, but several logistical issues remain unresolved, including player availability and the match venue. Cairo is now unlikely, and both federations are considering shifting the fixture to Morocco, where both teams are expected to set up base.
The Super Eagles’ preparations have also been affected by injuries to Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu, while captain William Troost-Ekong announced his international retirement on Thursday. The 2023 AFCON Player of the Tournament had been central to the team’s defensive structure, making his departure a significant setback.
Chelle, who released a 55-man provisional squad list this week, must cut down to 28 players within a compressed timeframe. Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, as they aim for a fourth continental title, having last lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
