Nigeria vs Egypt friendly postponed as FIFA shifts AFCON release date

The high-profile international friendly between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt has been rescheduled after a late decision by FIFA regarding player release dates severely impacted team availability.

The preparatory match, initially set for Sunday, December 14th, will now take place two days later on Tuesday, December 16th, to ensure both nations can field their strongest squads ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The postponement was confirmed by Khaled El-Darandaly, Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), on Friday. According to El-Darandaly, the decision was necessitated by a FIFA ruling that shifted the mandatory player release date for AFCON-bound players.

Nigeria-Egypt Clash Shifted Due to Late FIFA Release Date Change

FIFA announced that clubs are only obligated to release their players to join national teams starting on December 15th, making the original December 14th date unfeasible for many foreign-based stars.

The friendly will proceed as planned at the Cairo International Stadium, serving as a vital final tune-up for two continental powerhouses ahead of the AFCON 2025 finals, set to run from December 21st to January 18th, 2026, in Morocco.