Day 30 (Friday, 16 January, 2026)
Ndidi, Hassan Headline the Presser
IT IS QUITE A WHILE that I heard a Super Eagles captain speak on a matter with so much conviction and authority. Big Boss Stephen Keshi was strong but diplomatic, while Sunday Oliseh was very direct. Current skipper Wilfred Ndidi displayed a bluntness that I didn’t think he possessed when he spoke about his coach, Eric Chelle, at the pre-match press conference for the third-place play-off between Nigeria and Egypt.
“Make I switch to broken (pidgin) English,” he began when asked to speak about what he thinks the immediate future holds for the Super Eagles. “Being the captain na great privilege for me. But I dey receive plenty support from other leaders in the team as well as from the coach. This team, I am very proud of. For the future, the thing wey we need na continuity and I will say they (the Football Federation) should keep the coach because he’s a wonderful manager. I will say it in front of everyone for free. Make we no go try to change things now say because we no reach final (of the AFCON).”
Usually, when players are asked about the status of their coach, they would dodge the question and refer it to the FA to answer. Ndidi did not dodge the question. In fact, he answered it with his full chest. The players have spoken.
Meanwhile, Ndidi returns to the team for the third-place classification match after serving a suspension in the semi-final and overcoming a hamstring injury.
Hassan Under Fire As Morocco Media Confront Egypt Coach
Moroccan Journalists Demand Answers After Senegal Defeat
EGYPT coach, Hossam Hassan, was targeted by Moroccan journalists at the pre-match press conference for the third-place play-off between Nigeria and Egypt held at the Muhammed V Stadium in Casablanca on Friday, January the 16th.
Following the Pharaohs’ 1-0 defeat by Senegal in their semi-final clash in Tanger, Hassan had stirred controversy when he claimed that “some people do not want us in the final,” a veiled reference to Morocco. He then went on to declare that “Egypt are the (real) Lions of the Arabs and the Lions of Africa,” an even more direct denunciation of the Morocco’s national team’s nickname, ‘Atlas Lions’.
Egyptian FA President, Hany Abo Rida, was embarrassed enough by Hassan’s jibe that he wrote what amounted to a disclaimer to his Moroccan counterpart, Faouzi Lekjaa, declaring that Morocco was a “Pride to the Arab nation and a pride to Africa.” Apparently, Moroccan journalists were not assuaged by Rida’s intervention and they waited to take their pound of flesh from Hassan.
One of them asked him: “Why don’t you confess to the Egyptian people that you’re incompetent to handle their national team instead of looking for excuses for your semi-final defeat by Senegal?”
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 28: Penalty Pain, Tactical Lessons And Why Morocco Truly Deserved The Win
Another one suggested: “Why don’t you resign as the national coach of Egypt now that you have failed woefully at this tournament?”
Hassan Hits Back, Predicts Victory Over Super Eagles
Hassan refused to answer the questions, saying they were insulting. Instead, he gave his adversaries another broadside that “some countries are jealous of us (Egypt) because we have seven stars (AFCON titles) on our shirt which they can never equal.” Morocco has only won the AFCON once.
Speaking on the third place play-off itself, however, Hassan gave credit to the Super Eagles but said the Pharaohs will triumph. “Nigeria is a good team,” he stated. “Both Nigeria and Egypt were close to (reaching) the final. We played a friendly match just before this AFCON and we defeated them 2-1. It is good we are ending the tournament by playing them again and we are confident (of winning).”
The Super Eagles will have something to say about that.
Meanwhile, CAF has appointed a Moroccan, Jamal Jayed, as center referee for the match. Would this be another alibi for Hossam Hassan if Egypt loses?
Good luck to the Super Eagles.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 27: Mourinho’s Verdict, Super Eagles’ Mental Test & AFCON Semi-Final Drama
Head-to-Head: Nigeria vs Egypt
• 1 January 1960 — Nigeria 2-1 Egypt
• 24 November 1963 — Nigeria 3-6 Egypt
• 14 January 1973 — Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
• 14 March 1976 — Nigeria 3-2 Egypt
• 8 October 1977 — Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
• 21 October 1977 — Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
• 15 March 1980 — Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
• 20 February 1983 — Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
• 14 March 1984 — Nigeria 2-2 Egypt
• 20 March 1988 — Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
• 5 March 1990 — Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
• 30 March 1994 — Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
• 21 September 1995 — Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
• 25 November 2002 — Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
• 12 January 2010 — Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
• 12 April 2012 — Egypt 3-2 Nigeria
• 25 March 2016 — Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
• 29 March 2016 — Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
• 26 March 2019 — Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
• 11 January 2022 — Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
Summary: Nigeria 9 wins, Egypt 6 wins, 5 draws.
SOURCE: Yahoo! Sports
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By Mumini Alao, in Rabat
Photos by Ganiyu Yusuf
