Super Eagles and Egypt pre‑AFCON 2025 friendly gets new date

The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that the Super Eagles’ pre‑AFCON 2025 friendly against Egypt will now be played on Tuesday, 16 December.

The match was initially scheduled for Sunday, 14 December but had to be moved after FIFA ruled that clubs are allowed to keep their players until Monday, 15 December before releasing them for the tournament in Morocco.

Because of the date change and tight schedule, the fixture will now be treated as a practice match rather than a full international, allowing both teams to use more than five substitutes and give minutes to a wider group of players. The game will take place at Cairo International Stadium.

Nigeria head into AFCON 2025 in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, with all three group games to be played in Fes.

The Super Eagles open their campaign against Tanzania on 23 December, then face Tunisia on 27 December before rounding off the group stage against Uganda on 30 December in what could be a decisive clash.