Egypt and Nigeria warm up for international friendly ahead of AFCON kickoff

Egypt and Nigeria warm up ahead of Tuesday's friendly - the last match for both teams before AFCON kicks off on Sunday.

Egypt's national football squad trained on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s friendly international against Nigeria in Cairo.

The game will be the final warm up for both teams before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off on Sunday.

Seven-time champions Egypt will travel to host nation Morocco immediately after the game to prepare for the group stage. They’ll face Zimbabwe, South Africa and Angola.

Their first match will be against Zimbabwe on 22 December.

Absentees

Nigeria also spent Monday warming up for the Egypt match and fine-tuning preparations for the tournament.

Coach Eric Chelle is expected to field an experimental line-up due to a number of notable absentees, including Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Paris FC winger Moses Simon, who have yet to join the squad.

Nigeria are in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania with all games scheduled to be played in Fez.

Africa’s continental championship begins on 21 December and concludes on 18 January.

Kickoff for Egypt v Nigeria is scheduled for Tuesday, 16 December at 18:00 GMT.