Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, will be hoping to inflict a first defeat on Algerian coach, Djamel Belmadi, when both teams lock horns in an international friendly on Friday in Austria.

Algeria are unbeaten in their last 18 games, with Belmadi handling 14 of those matches. The Desert Foxes won 12 games and drew twice under Belmadi, since he took over the national team in 2018.

The North Africans defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt courtesy of a late Riyad Mahrez free kick. They defeated Senegal 1-0 in the final to seal their first AFCON trophy in 29 years.

Nigeria has a slight superior head-to-head ratio in 25 games against the Algerians, winning nine matches, losing eight and drawing0 eight times.

Nigeria also had an eight-match unbeaten streak against the African champions between 1993 to 2016, winning seven of the matches and recording a draw in a World Cup qualifier in 1993.

The Eagles had been scheduled to face the Elephants of Ivory Coast but the West African side opted to face Belgium instead.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.