Nigeria’s senior men’s national team have resumed training as preparations intensify for their third-place playoff clash against Egypt at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Under the guidance of head coach Eric Chelle, the Nigerian squad held a light recovery session focused on jogging and ball circulation. The training was designed to ease the players back into rhythm following their emotionally draining semifinal defeat to host nation Morocco.
The session, which took place on Thursday, marked the team’s return to action a day after their narrow loss in Rabat. It was aimed at helping the players recover both physically and mentally while laying the groundwork for Saturday’s playoff encounter against the Pharaohs.
According to the team’s training programme, preparations will be stepped up on Friday, with greater emphasis placed on tactical shape, technical drills, and match-specific adjustments as Nigeria fine-tunes plans for the final game of their tournament campaign.
The three-time African champions will be keen to put the disappointment of their semifinal exit behind them and finish the competition on a positive note by claiming the bronze medal. Maintaining a strong mental approach and tactical discipline will be crucial against a familiar and experienced Egyptian side.
The Egypt vs Nigeria third-place playoff is scheduled for a 4:00pm GMT kickoff on Saturday, January 17, 2026, and will be played at the Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca.
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.
