Nigeria and Egypt face-off on Tuesday in an international friendly match as both sides continue preparations for the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The clash is expected to hold at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, with kickoff scheduled for 19:00 Nigerian time.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle named a 28-man squad to represent the nation at the main event in Morocco and it is believed that this match will give the gaffer the opportunity to try out certain tactical and personnel changes.
In their last six encounters, Nigeria have claimed victory twice, Egypt have won three times, and one match ended in a draw.
Ahead of the crucial warmup clash on Tuesday, SportPremi highlights four major talking points in this piece;
1. Who Assumes the Leadership Role in the Absence of Troost-Ekong?
One major talking point before Eric Chelle named his final squad for the 2025 African Cup of Nations was the shock decision of captain William Troost-Ekong to retire from international football.
The former Watford defender had been a key member of the squad since making his debut, with his departure leaving a huge void in the Nigerian national team.
Eric Chelle must now appoint a new captain in the absence of the 2023 AFCON player of the tournament, before the Super Eagles head to Morocco.
Wilfried Ndidi, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, and Victor Osimhen are all strong candidates for the leadership role, but whoever takes on the responsibility must be prepared to guide the team both on and off the field.
2. Which Player comes in at right-back for the injured Ola Aina?
Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina was Nigeria’s first-choice right-back at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, but is unavailable this time around with injury.
The 29-year-old recently returned to training, but has not been passed fit for the tournament, with his recovery time set for January.
Birmingham City defender Ryan Alebiosu makes the cut for the first time and has been impressive in the position for his club this season.
Another option is Bright Osayi-Samuel, who has featured in the role in recent outings for the Super Eagles.
Whoever will nail the starting spot for the tournament has to impress in the game against Egypt on Tuesday.
3. Is Uzoho recall justified ahead of Okoye?
One major surprise when Nigeria’s final list for the African Cup of Nations was unveiled was the omission of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
The Udinese goalkeeper was part of the team for the CAF playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has been in superb form since making his return from a betting suspension.
Instead Francis Uzoho makes a return after almost two years away, with Amas Obasogie named as the third goalkeeper in the squad.
With Stanley Nwabali battling fitness problems ahead of the tournament, the clash against Egypt provides an opportunity to try out the best option should Nwabali remain out at any point of the tournament.
4. What is the best center-back pairing?
Heading into AFCON, the centre-back partnership appeared settled, until the absence of two key defenders dealt a major blow to the backline.
Young defender Benjamin Fredrick who had become a regular in recent outings for the Super Eagles suffered a knee injury which ruled out his participation.
Captain William Troost-Ekong who could have come in as his replacement also announced his retirement, robbing Nigeria of two solid center-backs.
The clash with Egypt provides the avenue to determine the best center-back pairing alongside Fulham’s Calvin Bassey, who has nailed the left center-back role.
The likes of Chidozie Awaziem, Igoh Ogbu and Semi Ajayi will be in contention to start in Nigeria’s opener against Tanzania in just over a week, leaving Eric Chelle with a major decision to make.
