The Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered a 2–1 defeat to Egypt in an international friendly played in Cairo, as part of preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to kick off on December 21, 2025.
The loss has further fueled concerns among Nigerian fans, many of whom are worried about the leadership within the team following the retirement of former captain William Troost-Ekong from international football. The absence of a strong on-field leader has been a recurring topic in recent discussions surrounding the national team.
Adding to the tension, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) recently petitioned against DR Congo after Nigeria crashed out of the World Cup qualification playoff, citing the alleged fielding of ineligible players by the Congolese side. These developments, all happening within a few weeks, appear to have influenced how fans perceived the defeat against Egypt.
Softfootball captured several reactions from fans on X, with emotions ranging from frustration to outright pessimism. One fan, Devine, expressed little optimism about the team’s chances even if Nigeria were to benefit from the Congo petition. His statement read:
Omo make una leave Dr Congo mke dem dey go the world cup!
i dey watch the match dey vex
If the miracle happens (dr congo gets disqualified) we would potentially face Jamaica(if they qualify)
The team I watched today can’t beat Jamaica either😂
Wahala dey o!”
Another fan, Emms, directed his criticism toward the coaching decisions of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, particularly player positioning. He warned against deploying certain players out of their natural roles, stating:
Somebody should tell Eric Chelle that fisayo Is an attacking midfielder o, he’s supposed to play behind the strikers o, Akinsanmi is playing off position, fago also played out of position, Onyemachi is minu 1, zaidu is not useful too.
While the defeat has left many Nigerian supporters disappointed, it is important to note that the match was only a friendly. Such games are often used for experimentation, tactical adjustments, and assessing squad depth.
With AFCON 2025 fast approaching, there remains room for improvement as the Super Eagles fine-tune their preparations and work toward delivering stronger performances when competitive action begins.
