Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir has voiced strong confidence in his team’s readiness ahead of their third-place playoff clash with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing the encounter as a tough but well-understood challenge. The Pharaohs will face the Super Eagles later today as both sides look to end their tournament campaigns on a high note.
Speaking to journalists in Morocco ahead of the match, Shobeir acknowledged Nigeria’s quality and attacking strength but stressed that Egypt are focused on securing a bronze medal to cap off their AFCON journey positively.
“This is obviously an important match against very strong opponents,” Shobeir said. “We will give everything we have. Our goal is to take a medal back to Egypt, and that is what we are fully focused on.”
Nigeria have earned praise throughout the tournament for their dynamic and forward-thinking style of play, often putting opposition defences under sustained pressure. However, Shobeir played down concerns about facing one of the competition’s most attack-oriented sides, noting that such challenges are standard at AFCON level.
“When you compete in AFCON, every team you face has attacking quality,” he explained. “There are no easy games. Playing against top offensive teams is normal at this level. What matters is that we prepare properly, study our opponents carefully, and execute our plan. That’s how you manage these games.”
The Egyptian goalkeeper also highlighted the recent familiarity between both teams, revealing that the Pharaohs and the Super Eagles met in a friendly match just weeks before the tournament began. According to Shobeir, that encounter gives both sides a clear understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“We played a friendly against Nigeria about a month ago in Egypt,” he said. “We know them very well, and they also know us. They’ve watched us closely, just as we’ve studied them. There won’t be many surprises.”
The third-place playoff between Nigeria and Egypt is set to kick off at 5:00 p.m. today, January 17, with both African heavyweights eager to finish the 2025 AFCON on the podium after narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
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