Eagles test might against Pharaohs today

By : Gowon Akpodonor

Date: 16 December 2025 9:00am WAT

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With a reasonable number of Super Eagles players in camp as of yesterday morning, there was a high tendency that Coach Eric Chelle would parade some new players in today’s friendly match against the Pharaohs of Egypt, in Cairo.   Ahead of this evening’s high-octane encounter, several regulars were, however, expected to drop into the Super Eagles’ nest yesterday. Their arrival could reasonably alter the team gaffer’s initial plan, as well as the squad for the encounter.   The friendly encounter between two of Africa’s most successful football nations, which is taking place at the Cairo Stadium, is designed to sharpen both sides ahead of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations kicking off in Morocco on Sunday.   The Super Eagles, three-time champions, and the Pharaohs, record seven-time winners, are expected to approach the match with full intensity as they fine-tune their squads for the tournament.   Both managers will use the fixture to assess several newcomers, with Chelle expected to hand some minutes to Tanzania-based goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defender Ryan Alebiosu, midfielders Usman Muhammed, Tochukwu Nnadi and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, along with forwards Paul Onuachu and Salim Fago Lawal.   Like former Super Eagles coach, late Stephen Keshi did with his squad at South Africa 2013 AFCON, which Nigeria won, Chelle took a bold step last week by injecting youth and first-time internationals on his list for the 35th AFCON in Morocco.   The decision to inject young players into the team may have followed last month’s painful World Cup elimination. Today’s friendly offers a final opportunity for Chelle to evaluate Super Eagles’ depth before the team heads to Morocco.

The Super Eagles will depart the Egyptian capital for Fés on Thursday aboard a chartered flight ahead of their 2025 AFCON opening game on Tuesday, December 23 against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars, a repeat of the first match of the 1980 tournament that Nigeria hosted and won. The Eagles will then face 2004 champions Tunisia on Saturday, December 27, before rounding off their Group C campaign against Uganda’s Cranes on Tuesday, December 30.   Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, an AFCON icon who scored seven goals as the Pharaohs won the 1998 edition in Burkina Faso, will also be testing his options.   Hassan finished that tournament as joint top scorer alongside South Africa’s Benni McCarthy, whose team claimed the silver medal. For this match and the AFCON campaign itself, Hassan is expected to build his approach around Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who, despite his glittering club career, is still chasing his first AFCON title. He will also rely on Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, Al Ahly’s Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Emam Ashour and Mahmoud Trezeguet. Additional firepower comes from Pyramids’ Mohamed Hamdy and Mostafa Fathi, UAE-based Ibrahim Adel, and Mostafa Mohamed of FC Nantes.

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