SAN FRANCISCO, October 09, (THEWILL) – The Super Eagles of Nigeria will today take on Les Fennecs of Algeria in a high-profile friendly in Austria. Speaking ahead of the tie, Nigerian head coach Gernot Rohr says his team will go all out to end Algeria’s 18-match unbeaten streak.
The two African nations will clash at the Multi-purpose stadium in Worthersee, Klangefurt.
Nigeria’s last outing came in faraway Lesotho, when a thoroughly engrossing Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the southern African side yielded six goals, featured a swift comeback and an own-goal for good measure. The 4-2 victory showcased the very best of Gernot Rohr’s new-look Super Eagles: near irresistible in attack, tough enough to assert themselves even on an unforgiving playing surface, and capable of necessary adaptation to the opposition’s particular challenge.
But today, their opponents, African champions Algeria last tasted defeat almost two years ago, a 1-0 loss to the Squirrels of Benin Republic in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. In that game, a ten-man Benin blew Group D of their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign wide open after registering a slender 1-0 win over Algeria at the Stade de l’Amitié in Cotonou.
The North Africans have not lost since then, registering 13 wins and 5 draws.
The wins recorded by Djamel Belmadi-managed side have been impressive, especially against top oppositions like Senegal, Tunisia, Mali, Colombia and, yes, Nigeria during the period.
But those statistics has not fazed the Eagles coach. The German remains adamant that the Super Eagles can bring that impressive run to an end with this friendly.
“It’s a match to test new players, we want to see what they are capable of, Algeria will be a big test for us, it’s a team that has been undefeated for 18 games and we will try to stop,” THEWILL can quote him as saying.
“It is a great team in Africa, it is champion of the African continent, we will try to put an end to their good results”
This match will mark the first time the Super Eagles and Algeria will be meeting in a friendly even as fans will see it as a repeat of the 2019 AFCON semi-final which Algeria won 2-1 courtesy of a Riyad Mahrez free kick late in the game that won it for the Algerians.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
