Algeria's Desert Foxes replace Cote d’Ivoire in Super Eagles friendly

mahrez-free-kick-algeria-vs-nigeria_1la3r2gtza3jx15jsc445r44f6

Mahrez heartbreak in Egypt.

Riyad Mahrez’s last minute free-kick was the difference when Super Eagles and Algeria  last met in 2019.

By Preye Campbell

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face reigning African champions Algeria’s Desert Foxes for an international friendly in October.

The Super Eagles were expected to take on Cote d’Ivoire on October 9 in Austria before facing Tunisia at the same venue four days later.

The Federation Ivorienne de Football has however said that the match will not happen, as they wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that they would be unable to send a team to the European country for the encounter due to internal problems.

The Desert Foxes of Algeria then accepted to share the same venue with the three-time African champions on the same date.

Related News

Mohamed Saad, general secretary of the Federation Algerienne de Football wrote as per a statement from the Nigerian Football Federation, “We have permission from our government to travel from Algeria to Austria and our country has reopened international flights.

“We also would like to confirm that FIFA match agent Me Jairo Pachon is authorised to carry on all the required work and planning in Austria in order to stage this event.”

Both teams last clashed in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Djamel Belmadi’s men needed a brilliant last minute free-kick from captain and Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez to win 2-1 en route to winning the trophy against Senegal.

The Super Eagles last match was against Lesotho, in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Maseru’s Setsoto Stadium on November 17, 2019. Nigeria won 4-2.

The Eagles are yet to play in 2020 owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Load more