Egypt’s national team trained on Monday without key forwards Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Omar Marmoush of Manchester City as they prepared for a friendly match against Nigeria, according to a report by Filgoal.

The session was part of Egypt’s final preparations ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off next Sunday in Morocco.

The Egyptian coaching staff, led by Hossam Hassan, will assess the availability of Salah and Marmoush following their expected arrival later on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad, including Ibrahim Adel, Hamdi Fathi, Rami Rabia, and Mostafa Mohamed, participated fully in the training session at Cairo International Stadium.

The friendly against Nigeria provides the Pharaohs an opportunity to fine-tune their squad and tactics before the Africa Cup of Nations, where Egypt has been drawn into Group B alongside South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.

Egypt will look to field a strong side, though only 23 players from the full 28-man squad will be selected for each match of the tournament.

For Nigeria, the friendly serves as a key preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the three-time champions have been drawn in a challenging Group C with Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Eric Chelle’s team will hold their first training session on Monday evening inside the main bowl of Cairo International Stadium, ahead of the Tuesday clash against Egypt.

Both teams are expected to use the friendly to test combinations and assess player fitness ahead of the continental tournament.

With the Africa Cup of Nations less than a week away, the match promises to be a competitive encounter and a valuable rehearsal for coaches and players.