- The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to face the Pharaohs of Egypt in a friendly match ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- Some of the players have reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the scheduled date of the fixture
- The 35th edition of the continental tournament will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026
- Nigerian sports journalist, Eyere Ekuta believes that the tight flight schedules of the friendly might affect their performance
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Egyptian Football Association had agreed to play a friendly match on December 14 ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, the plan was disrupted due to FIFA regulations on the release of African players.
FIFA, in a statement, permitted clubs to delay the release of their players until one week before the tournament, affecting the preparations of many participating teams.
Source: Getty Images
As a result, the friendly has been rescheduled to December 16, five days before the AFCON opener between Morocco and Comoros.
According to the NFF, the match will now be treated as a practice game, allowing both teams to use more than the standard five substitutes. The encounter will kick off at 8 pm Egypt time (7 pm Nigeria time) at the Cairo Stadium.
Super Eagles players consider boycotting friendly
Some Super Eagles players have expressed concern over the proximity of the rescheduled friendly match between Nigeria and Egypt.
According to ScoreNigeria, the players are worried about the risks of injury and fatigue so close to the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.
An official of the Nigeria Football Federation revealed that several players have reached out to complain about the timing of the match.
He explained that the players are unhappy about travelling to Cairo for the friendly and then returning to Morocco for AFCON preparations. The official said:
“I must be very honest, the players are not happy that they will have to first fly to Egypt before heading to Morocco after the game.
Source: Getty Images
“The players said they will be tired by the time they get to Morocco, less than 48 hours to their first match, because of too much travel. Some of them are coming from different parts of Europe, and the journey will be very tedious.”
Meanwhile, Eric Chelle is yet to name his 28-man final list ahead of the deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), per ESPN.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, Eyere Ekuta said the friendly match against Egypt is unnecessary, considering the limited time before Nigeria’s opening fixture.
Ekuta believes coach Eric Chelle should select his squad based on the 2026 World Cup playoff performances and the players’ form at their various clubs. She said:
“I feel the friendly match between Egypt and Nigeria is not necessary because the players will already be stressed after returning from their various clubs. What they need now is a recovery process and light training.”
Petit names 2 favourites to win AFCON
Legit.ng earlier reported that Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has named the two countries he sees as favourites to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations 17 days ahead of the tournament.
He named Morocco as the outright favourite because of the quality of their squad, which includes the reigning African Footballer of the Year, Achraf Hakimi.