As African nations intensify preparations for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the highly anticipated pre-tournament friendly between Nigeria and Egypt has been shifted to a new date due to a fresh directive from FIFA.
The global football body has ruled that clubs are permitted to retain their players until Monday, 15 December 2025, forcing several national teams to adjust their warm-up schedules.
Originally slated for Sunday, 14 December in Cairo, the Nigeria–Egypt encounter will now take place on Tuesday, 16 December. This adjustment ensures both teams can have their full squad available in line with FIFA’s player-release regulations.
In addition to the date change, the match has been reclassified as a practice game. This new status allows both sides to field more than the standard five substitutes, giving coaches greater flexibility to assess player fitness, test tactical variations, and fine-tune team chemistry ahead of the continental showpiece.
The encounter is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Egypt time (7:00 p.m. Nigeria time) at the iconic Cairo Stadium.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will compete in Group C at the AFCON finals, where they will face a challenging lineup featuring 2004 champions Tunisia, 1978 runners-up Uganda, and the ever-improving Tanzania.
The Nigerian team begins its campaign on Tuesday, 23 December against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars at the Complexe Sportif de Fès. They will later battle Tunisia on Saturday, 27 December before concluding the group stage against Uganda’s Cranes on Tuesday, 30 December.
