By Abiola Olawale
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set for a clash against continental rivals, the Pharaohs of Egypt, in a rescheduled pre-tournament preparation match on Tuesday, December 16.
The anticipated Egypt friendly is part of the team’s final training roadmap for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) in Morocco.
The match was originally set for December 14, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed the shift to December 16.
This date adjustment comes directly from a new FIFA circular that permits clubs to retain their international players until Monday, December 15, before their official release for the AFCON 2025 tournament.
”The change to December 16 ensures that both the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs will have access to their full complement of foreign-based stars, which is vital for a meaningful pre-tournament assessment,” a source close to the NFF confirmed.
The match will be played at Cairo Stadium at 7 pm Nigerian time.
Eric Chelle, Super Eagles head coach, named a 54-player provisional list for the tournament. William Troost-Ekong, the team’s captain and one of the players on the list, announced his retirement from international football just a few days after.
A final list of 28 players will be drawn from the provisional list in the coming days.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to arrive at a training camp in Egypt on December 10. The team is expected to play a few other friendly matches before the tournament begins on December 21.
