Egypt Vs Nigeria Friendly Pushed to 16 December for AFCON Preparations
The highly anticipated friendly between Egypt and Nigeria has been rescheduled to 16 December, two days later than originally planned.
Egyptian Football Association Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly confirmed the change, explaining that the adjustment was made to align with FIFA’s release period, which begins on 15 December.
This ensures that key players such as Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush will be available for the clash, giving both teams a proper test ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Egypt, seven-time continental champions, are aiming to reclaim the AFCON crown for the first time since 2010.
They have twice reached the final in recent years, losing to Cameroon in 2017 and Senegal in 2021.
Drawn in Group B alongside South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, the Pharaohs will be looking to sharpen their squad during the Cairo preparation camp, where coach Hossam Hassan has assembled a 28-man preliminary list.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will view the friendly as a crucial opportunity to fine-tune their squad before the tournament begins on 21 December.
The Super Eagles are drawn in Group C with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Nigeria will open their campaign two days before Christmas against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania at the Fez stadium in Fez, Morocco.
