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The highly anticipated friendly match between Egypt and Nigeria has a new date set for 16 December, following a two-day postponement.
This adjustment was confirmed by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) on Friday, as reported by Ahram.
EFA Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly explained that the change was necessary due to FIFA’s updated international release directive, which required both teams to modify their final preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Originally scheduled for 14 December, the match is now part of Egypt’s build-up to AFCON 2025, which will take place in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January.
The new directive allows clubs to retain African players until 15 December, which means both national teams won’t have access to their complete squads for the earlier date. This adjustment is especially important for Egypt as they anticipate that key players, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, will arrive after the new release window. Nigeria will also feel the impact, as many players in Eric Chelle’s squad are based in Europe.
