AFCON Countdown: Nigeria considers skipping Egypt camp over cancelled friendly

The Super Eagles are considering skipping their planned training camp in Cairo, Egypt, as they prepare for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco later this month.

This decision comes after uncertainty surrounding a warm-up friendly against Egypt, which was originally scheduled for December 14.

According to SCORENigeria, the match against Egypt is unlikely to take place because overseas clubs are not obliged to release their players for international duty at that time. Without the friendly, officials believe there is little reason to hold the training camp in Cairo.

A source close to the team told SCORENigeria: “It’s most likely the match against Egypt is off, and if that happens, there is no point in keeping the players in Egypt. The most practical approach would be for the squad to travel directly to Morocco ahead of the tournament.”

Earlier reports from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) indicated that the team would open their camp in Egypt on December 10. The camp was intended to give players a chance to train together and finalize preparations ahead of the competition.

Nigeria is set to open their AFCON 2025 campaign on December 23 against Tanzania. The Super Eagles are grouped with Tunisia and Uganda in Group C, meaning they face a challenging set of matches in the opening stage of the tournament.

As the team weighs its options, fans and football analysts are closely watching the NFF’s next move, hoping that the preparation strategy does not disrupt the team’s readiness for the continental competition.