Bronze At Stake! Nigeria, Egypt Lock Horns At AFCON 2025

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Egypt on Saturday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, with pride, history, and momentum at stake as both teams battle for third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kick-off is scheduled for 5pm Nigerian time, as both the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs aim to end their campaigns positively following disappointing semi-final defeats earlier in the week.

Nigeria’s impressive run in Morocco came to a halt against the host nation in a tightly contested semi-final that produced few scoring opportunities. The Eagles managed just two attempts over 120 minutes before losing 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw, bringing a disciplined defensive performance to a painful end.

Egypt, seven-time AFCON champions, were edged out 1–0 by Senegal in Tangier, with Sadio Mané scoring a late winner.

Despite the setback, Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has called on his players to regroup and approach the third-place match with focus and determination. Meanwhile, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan views the tournament as an important step in preparations for the upcoming World Cup, where the Pharaohs will compete against Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran in Group G.

Saturday’s encounter also features two of the tournament’s most prolific scorers. Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen have each netted four goals, just one shy of top scorer Brahim Díaz.

This will be the 10th AFCON meeting between the two sides. Nigeria won their most recent tournament clash 1–0 during the group stage of the 2021 AFCON and hold a perfect record in third-place matches, having won all eight previous playoff games.

Head-to-Head

Overall meetings: 20
Nigeria: 8 wins, 6 draws, 6 losses (29 goals scored, 24 conceded)
Egypt: 6 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses (24 goals scored, 29 conceded)

AFCON meetings only:
Nigeria: 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
Egypt: 2 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses

Nigeria have won the last two AFCON-related encounters between the teams, both by 1–0 margins, including the 2021 group-stage meeting.

However, Egypt claimed the most recent overall victory in a friendly played on December 16, 2025. Mahmoud Saber scored in the 28th minute before Mostafa Mohamed added a second after halftime, with Chidozie Awaziem pulling one back for Nigeria in first-half stoppage time.

Nigeria’s 2019 friendly win in Asaba ended a seven-match winless run against Egypt and marked their first victory over the Pharaohs in 29 years, dating back to the 1990 AFCON.

Team News

For Egypt, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet returned from injury to feature against Senegal and is expected to be available again. Mohamed Hamdi remains doubtful after missing the semi-final, while Hossam Abdelmaguid is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. Mohamed Hamdy is still recovering from a serious knee injury. Coach Hossam Hassan is expected to retain most of his lineup, subject to fitness considerations.

Nigeria welcome back captain Wilfred Ndidi after suspension kept him out of the semi-final. Defender Calvin Bassey is suspended after receiving a booking in the previous match.

There are fitness concerns surrounding Victor Osimhen, who was substituted during extra time against Morocco, while Ryan Alebiosu has been managing minor fitness issues. Striker Cyriel Dessers has withdrawn from the squad after sustaining an ankle injury.

Where to Watch

The AFCON 2025 third-place match between Nigeria and Egypt will be broadcast live on CAF TV, Channel 4, NTA Sports, and SuperSport.