The Super Eagles will go into October 9 friendly against Algeria with the sole aim of ending the Desert Foxes’ 18 match -unbeaten streak, reports Completesports.com.
The North Africans last defeat came almost two years ago, a 1-0 loss to the Squirrels of Benin in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Since then, the Desert Foxes have won 13 and drawn 5 matches.
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Djamel Belmadi’s side recorded wins against top sides like Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mali and Colombia during the period.
The game will be first time the Super Eagles and Algeria will be meeting in a friendly.
It will be a repeat of the 2019 AFCON semi-final which Algeria won 2-1 courtesy of Riyad Mahrez late free kick.
Both countries have faced each other 21 times in official match at senior level.
By Adeboye Amosu
8 Comments
My mind is telling me this Algerian guys will come gunning for a Draw to maintain this status and also because they know we’re way super than them. So Super Eagles should not miss any slight chance that come there way
Afcon champs Algeria will be gunning for a draw against Nigeria.
Lol, armchair analysis at its finest.
Na waya for analysts ooo 🙂
Just like us, Algeria will be gunning for a win. But I believe that with the caliber of players at our disposal, Nigeria will prevail. However, if we are complacent, Algeria have the quality to beat us!
Hahahahaha….I dont know where we get this vague illusion that we are “WAY SUPERIOR or WAY SUPER” to Algeria. If beating Senegal (2ce) and Nigeria without conceding a goal in open play, to win the last AFCON is not enough testament to their strength and ability, I doubt what is. Algeria winning the last AFCON was no fluke…they didnt wobble and fumble to the trophy, they didnt struggle to qualify from their group to the knockout stages….they won ALL…..ALL their matches in dominant performances on the way to the trophy They’ve also dominated every team they’ve have met since after AFCON…..they deserve some respect.
Currently we are just 1 spot ahead of them on the African rankings…that doesnt show a “way-superiority” by any means. Algeria currently is as strong as we are and we also are as strong as they are. Our last competitive meetings show 1 win apiece and 1 draw. The earlier we stopped underestimating our opponents, just because we want to give ourselves some false confidence, the better for us. With Senegal and Nigeria, Algeria is still a favorite to win the 2021 AFCON…..we better brace up for that.
Spot on bro…..We always lack respect for our opponents even though it’s obvious that Algeria is not a small team by any means but at the same time every team has a day or time that they will lose regardless of strength/superiority.
Of course we’ve to keep that at the back of our minds.for me, I’ll even say they’re an inch better cause they always seem tactically superior. I’ll be very proud if we can beat pip them.
My charming Chairmanfemi’s views have come under attack by Forumites who ordinarily align their position with his, for the most parts, when it comes to Super Eagles matters.
But not this time. The belief that ‘Algerians will come for a draw’ knowing fully well that ‘Nigeria are better than them’ which was espoused by the affable Chairman has been doused with cold water by Dr Drey and Pompei.
But are they right to mock? Does Chairmanfemi have a point?
One thing is for sure, either team will see a draw as a fair result on the night if the match is as fiesty and keenly contested as the last 3 encounters between both sides.
In truth, there is not and has never been daylight difference between Algeria and Nigeria.
Historically, both are as close in results between them as they are in the current Fifa rankings where Nigeria sit just 1 place above Algeria in the CAF category in 3rd and 4th positions respectively.
If you then visit head-on-head records, out of 20 recorded encounters since 1973, Nigeria have won 9, drawn 3 and lost 8 against Algeria (pretty tight if you ask me).
So, from that statistics only, I think the Algerians will be going for a victory in this friendly to even the scores. Afterall, if they neutralised us in the Afcons, they will be buoyed to believe they can do it again.
Algeria are undefeated in their last 6 matches so the Atlas Lions will be keen to preserve this record whilst doing a double on one of their closest rivals.
Having looked closely at the matches between Nigeria and Algeria since 1973, I couldn’t help but spot a trend: the team on the ascendancy in African and World football seems to win against the other for a specific period.
For example, between 1981 and 1990 when Algerian football was in the ascendancy (2 impressive world cup outings and 1 Afcon trophy), Nigeria could not live with them.
In that period, we managed 1 win, 1 draw and a humiliating 5 losses.
However, between 1993 and 2010 when we had arguably some of our most flamboyant and fascinating players to date (Okocha, Kanu, Yakubu, Martins, Enyeama and Co), Algeria could not lay a glove on us. They managed 1 draw and 6 staggering loses?
So, going back to my wonderful Chairmanfemi’s submission, who is better at the moment? Who is on the ascendancy?
A Nigeria boasting of some truly exciting talents who were only just unlucky to be pipped by Algeria in the narrowest of losses in last year’s Afcon semi finals or an Algeria who want to go back to the days of Rabah Madjer where they were a truly exciting outfit in the world game.
They are currently an exciting outfit as well as Nigeria whose rise in the Fifa rankings in recent times shows no sign of abating.
I think this match will go some way in determining which of the 2 teams is more on the ascendancy than the other.
Nice one, Deo.
N.B. – Algeria are not the ATLAS LIONS. That is Morocco.
Algeria are the FENNECS aka DESERT FOXES.
Thank Pompei. I did realise the mistake but it was too late to make the correction by then.
Thanks again sir.