Egypt secured a 2–1 victory over Nigeria in a final pre-AFCON friendly on Tuesday, marked by tactical shifts and a contentious officiating row.
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Despite the Super Eagles dominating possession early on, Mahmoud Saber opened the scoring for the Pharaohs after half an hour.
Nigeria managed to level the score just before halftime when Chidozie Awaziem pounced on a fumbled free-kick to head home.
The match took a dramatic turn in the second half when Mostafa Mohamed restored Egypt’s lead from what appeared to be an offside position.
The goal sparked heavy protests from the Nigerian bench, resulting in a yellow card for head coach Eric Chelle. Despite a late push and claims for a handball in the box that went ignored, the Super Eagles were unable to find a second equalizer.
The team is now set to depart Cairo for Morocco on Thursday to begin their tournament campaign.
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