By our correspondant
FIFA’s decision that Clubs can hold on to their players until Monday December 15, 2025 before they are released for Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has pushed the pre-AFCON friendly between Nigeria and Egypt to December 16.
Seven-time winners Egypt and three-time winners Nigeria were scheduled to clash in a tune-up game in Cairo on Sunday December 14, in line with an earlier regulation that ruled that players be released earlier.
The game has now been moved to Tuesday December 16 as a result of the regulation.
Aside from the postponement, the game will now be a practice match in order to allow the two teams to make use of more than five substitutes in the encounter, which will kick off at 8pm Egypt time (7pm Nigeria time) at the Cairo Stadium.
The Super Eagles are in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations finals alongside 2004 champions Tunisia, 1978 runners-up Uganda, and Tanzania. Nigeria’s first match is on Tuesday December 23 against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars at the Complexe Sportif de Fes, where they will also tackle Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on Saturday December 27, and the Cranes of Uganda m on Tuesday December 30.
The Pharaohs, who hosted the finals in 2019, are in Group B alongside 1996 hosts and winners South Africa, 2010 hosts Angola, and Zimbabwe. Their matches will be at the Stade d’Agadir.
