FIFA circular forces Egypt, Nigeria to reschedule pre-AFCON friendly

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed the new date on Friday, with EFA Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly explaining that the fixture could no longer be held on December 14 as originally planned, Punchng.com reported. 

FIFA’s updated circular now allows clubs to retain African players until December 15, leaving both Egypt and Nigeria without access to key stars for the earlier date.

The change is particularly significant for Egypt, who expect some of their most influential players — including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush — to join camp only after the revised release window. 

Nigeria face a similar challenge, with the majority of Eric Chelle’s squad based in Europe and therefore unavailable before December 15.

To adapt, the Nigeria Football Federation has already drafted a revised build-up programme. Under the new plan, the Super Eagles will officially open camp on December 14, giving Chelle just one week to prepare for AFCON, which kicks off on December 21.

Compounding their concerns are several injury setbacks affecting Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu. 

The Super Eagles also suffered a major blow on Thursday when captain William Troost-Ekong announced his retirement from international football.

Uncertainty still surrounds key elements of the friendly, including the availability of the full squads and the venue. Cairo is no longer considered a viable option, leading both federations to explore staging the match in Morocco instead.

The rescheduling has now forced Egypt and Nigeria into a race against time as they attempt to fine-tune their squads ahead of the continental showpiece.