BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Algeria manager Djamel Belmadi has hinted at fielding his strongest possible starting lineup in Tuesday’s international friendly matchup with the Super Eagles of Nigeria at Stade Olympique d’Oran (Bir El Djir).
On Friday night, the Desert Foxes defeated Guinea 1-0 while the coach started some of his finest players off the bench.
The game-winning goal was scored by seasoned forward Islam Slimani with 12 minutes remaining.
“We took a lot of positives from the Guinea game, but Nigeria is a different game,” Belmadi told reporters.
“I will play with players who are used to playing with each other.”
The Super Eagles have played four matches with their new Portuguese football tactician Jose Peseiro in the dugout and the results were a mixed bag, having won two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone and São Tomé e Príncipe while they were beaten by Mexico and Ecuador in friendly matches.
Nigeria are missing key players ahead of the friendly, with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Semi Ajayi, Leon Balogun, Oghenekaro Etebo, Sadiq Umar and Emmanuel Dennis not named in the final 24-man squad due to fitness issues. There was more bad news when the team arrived in Algeria as English-based duo William Troost-Ekong and Wilfred Ndidi were forced to withdraw from the roster owing toinjuries.
