Super Eagles Set for International Friendly with Algeria on September 27

The Super Eagles will face the Desert Foxes of Algeria during this month’s international break. Following the postponement of AFCON qualifiers

Nigeria have confirmed a friendly match with Algeria on September 27 in Oran.

Both countries missed out on the 2022 World Cup, with Nigeria falling to Ghana while Algeria were eliminated by Cameroon.

African countries that did not make it to Qatar have had to come up with their own plans for the September international break after Confederation of African Football postponed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to allow the World Cup-bound sides an opportunity to prepare.

Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco will be Africa’s representatives in Qatar and the teams had expressed reservations over playing the AFCON qualifiers two months to the World Cup instead of fine-tuning for the global tournament, leading to CAF’s decision.

This was also necessitated by the fact that CAF pushed back the 2023 tournament in the Ivory Coast from June next year to January 2024.

The Super Eagles were set to face Guinea-Bissau home and away in the AFCON qualifiers during this month’s window while the Desert Foxes had a date with Niger before the postponement.

Both countries endured a rough start to 2023 with Nigeria being eliminated from the 2021 AFCON in the Round of 16 by Tunisia with any hopes of writing those wrongs in the World Cup playoffs going up in smoke as they lost on away goals to Ghana, following a 1-1 draw in Abuja.

Jose Peseiro’s men dusted themselves up to beat Sierra Leone 2-1 before thrashing Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers in June.

Algeria, meanwhile, failed to defend their continental title following a group stage exit from the 2021 tournament in Cameroon and suffered further heartache when Cameroon eliminated them from the World Cup playoff when they had looked close to sealing their ticket.

After winning the first leg 1-0 in Cameroon, the Fennecs were eliminated 2-1 in the return leg at home by an extra-time goal from Karl-Toko Ekambi.

They, however, began their journey to the 2023 AFCON tournament with 2-0 wins over Uganda and Tanzania in June.

Nigeria and Algeria have faced each other six times with the Super Eagles winning thrice while the North Africans have managed one victory, the win coming during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final when they won 2-1 en-route to the final.