Awaziem Urges Super Eagles to Take Positives from Egypt Defeat, Focus on AFCON

Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem has called on the national team to draw encouragement from their friendly defeat to Egypt and channel their attention toward the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, TalkTalk Nigeria reports.

Nigeria fell 2–1 to the Pharaohs on Tuesday night at the Cairo International Stadium in a pre-AFCON friendly. Mahmoud Saber and Mostafa Mohammed scored for Egypt, while Awaziem pulled one back for the Super Eagles with a well-taken header late in the first half.

Reflecting on the encounter, the Nantes star described the match as a valuable test for the team ahead of the continental tournament.

“It was a good test for us. Egypt is not an easy country to play against. They have a couple of good players,” Awaziem told the Super Eagles media team. “The purpose of the friendly was for us to test ourselves before the AFCON, for the coach to try new players, new tactics, and prepare well for the AFCON.”

Despite the disappointing result, Awaziem believes there were plenty of positives to build on.

“It was a good test, though the result wasn’t what we wanted. The focus was to see our structure, different players, and the newly invited players—what they can contribute to the team,” he added. “We dominated the game, pinned them back, and created so many chances. We just have to take the positives and move ahead.”

Opinion: The Right Mindset at the Right Time

Awaziem’s comments reflect the kind of maturity and perspective the Super Eagles need at this stage of their AFCON preparations. Friendly matches are rarely about perfection; they are about learning, adapting, and identifying areas that need fine-tuning before the real battle begins.

While the scoreline favoured Egypt, Nigeria’s ability to control large spells of the game and create chances suggests there is a solid foundation to build on. The willingness to test new players and tactics also shows a team thinking long-term rather than chasing short-term results.

As the AFCON approaches, belief and clarity of purpose will be just as important as tactics. If the Super Eagles can sharpen their finishing and maintain the intensity Awaziem spoke about, this friendly defeat may well prove to be a necessary step toward a stronger tournament showing.