Nigeria’s AFCON Preparations Hit by Club-Country Clash, Simon Likely to Miss Cairo Match.

Super Eagles

Nigeria’s Super Eagles preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have suffered a blow, with Moses Simon expected to miss next month’s high-profile friendly against Egypt in Cairo, Sportblits.com reports.

The Paris FC winger, one of Nigeria’s most experienced attackers, is widely anticipated to feature in the final AFCON squad. However, club-country scheduling conflicts have put his availability in serious doubt.

Moses Simon

According to RMC Sport, Paris FC will not release any African players before 14 December, the date of the friendly. With Simon required to remain in France until then, his participation is effectively ruled out unless the fixture is rescheduled — a scenario that seems increasingly unlikely.

Impact on the Super Eagles

Simon’s absence would be a major setback for head coach Eric Chelle, who has yet to announce his provisional or final squad but considers the 29-year-old a key part of Nigeria’s attacking setup.

This situation also underscores a growing challenge for African teams this year: a congested European calendar overlapping with the AFCON window, leaving several top players unavailable for crucial preparatory matches.