Super Eagles vs Egypt AFCON Tune-Up Rescheduled for December 16

The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed a new date for the international friendly between the Super Eagles and Egypt, following FIFA’s adjustment of the release period for players ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The match, originally scheduled for 14 December, will now be played on 16 December at the Cairo International Stadium.

The shift is the outcome of FIFA’s directive that clubs are not required to release players for AFCON duty until 15 December, a week before the tournament kicks off. The decision disrupted initial preparations for several of the 24 participating teams, including Nigeria and Egypt, both of whom had planned their camps around the earlier release window. Officials from both federations agreed to move the friendly by 48 hours to ensure full player availability.

The fixture will now be treated strictly as a practice match, allowing unlimited substitutions rather than the standard limit. Nigeria’s football authorities said the adjustment will offer both technical crews the opportunity to assess larger portions of their provisional squads before final selections are made.

The match will kick off at 8 p.m. local time in Cairo, which is 7 p.m. in Nigeria. It forms part of the Super Eagles’ build-up under coach Eric Chelle as the team attempts to regain form ahead of the continental showpiece. Nigeria, still dealing with the disappointment of missing out on the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, is expected to trim its 54-man provisional list after the Cairo camp before heading to Morocco.

The Super Eagles are drawn in Group C for AFCON 2025 and will face Tanzania on 23 December, Tunisia on 27 December and Uganda on 30 December, with all matches scheduled to take place in Fes. Egypt, the most successful team in the competition’s history with seven titles, will compete in Group B against South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe, with fixtures set for Agadir.

The AFCON finals will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.