The international friendly between Nigeria and Egypt ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has been postponed following a new directive from world football governing body, FIFA.
FIFA ruled that clubs are permitted to retain their players until Monday, December 15, 2025, before releasing them for the 35th edition of the AFCON finals in Morocco. This decision forced a change in the scheduled pre-tournament match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt.
Originally fixed for Sunday, December 14 in Cairo, the encounter will now take place on Tuesday, December 16. The match has also been reclassified as a practice game, allowing both teams to use more than the standard five substitutes.
The fixture is set to kick off at 8:00pm Egypt time (7:00pm Nigeria time) at the Cairo International Stadium.
Nigeria, three-time AFCON champions, will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. The Super Eagles will open their campaign against Tanzania on Tuesday, December 23, at the Complexe Sportif de Fès before facing Tunisia on Saturday, December 27, and Uganda on Tuesday, December 30.
Egypt, seven-time champions and hosts of the 2019 edition, have been drawn in Group B alongside South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe. The Pharaohs will play their group matches at the Stade d’Agadir.
