Nigeria’s pre-AFCON warm-up match against Egypt has been pushed back by two days following a FIFA regulation allowing clubs to retain their players until Monday, 15 December 2025, before releasing them for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Super Eagles and the Pharaohs were initially set to meet in Cairo on Sunday, 14 December, under earlier guidelines that permitted players to join their national teams sooner.
With the updated regulation now in effect, the fixture will instead be played on Tuesday, 16 December.
The match has also been reclassified as a practice game, enabling both teams to field more than the standard five substitutes.
Kick-off remains scheduled for 8pm Egypt time (7pm Nigeria time) at the Cairo International Stadium.
Nigeria will compete in Group C at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The Super Eagles open their campaign on Tuesday, 23 December against Tanzania at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, before facing Tunisia on 27 December and Uganda on 30 December.
Hosts in 2019, Egypt have been drawn in Group B with South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe. All Pharaohs’ group matches will take place at the Stade d’Agadir.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
