Nigeria’ Vice Captain, Moses Simon, will not feature in the Super Eagles international friendly game against Egypt following the decision by his club, Paris FC, not to release any player for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than December 14, reports soccernet.ng.
The Super Eagles will play an international test game against the Pharoahs of Egypt on December 14 ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations billed to start in Morocco on December 21.
Simon, one of the Super Eagles’ most experienced attackers, is widely expected to make the final AFCON squad, but club-country scheduling has placed his availability in serious doubt.
A report from RMC Sport indicates that Paris FC will not release any of their African players before December 14, the exact date of the friendly.
With Simon required to remain in France until matchday, his participation is effectively ruled out unless the fixture is shifted, a scenario that appears increasingly unlikely.
Simon’s absence would be a significant blow for head coach Eric Chelle, who has yet to announce his provisional or final squad for the tournament but views the 29-year-old as central to his attacking structure.
His unavailability also highlights a growing issue for African nations this year: a congested European calendar running directly into the AFCON window.
Nigeria may also head into the Egypt friendly without several of their Premier League stars.
Fulham trio Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey are all expected to feature in a league fixture against Burnley on December 13, while Tolu Arokodare’s Wolverhampton Wanderers will be away to Arsenal that same weekend. Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka is also unlikely to be released, with the Bees set to face Leeds United on December 14.
The scheduling conflict extends beyond Nigeria. Egypt, Africa’s most successful AFCON nation, are grappling with similar uncertainty.
The Egyptian Football Association has contacted Liverpool and Manchester City for clarity on the availability of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush but is yet to receive formal responses. This is according to Filgoal.
