The Desert Foxes of Algeria confirmed their status as African Champions with a 1-0 win over Nigeria in an international friendly game played in Austria.

Algeria started the game as the better team and got the lead their dominance deserve when Ramy Bensebaini profited from a mix up in the Nigerian box to put his team ahead in the 6th minute.

The Nigerian defence were all over the place from a corner kick and it fell nicely for the defender who tucked it home comfortably.

Algeria has further chances to go more goals up with Maduka Okoye forced into making two good stops from Said Benrahma and Riyad Mahrez.

Nigeria picked up the pace later in the game with Samuel Chukwueze and Zaidu Sanusi giving Nigeria width on opposite flanks. However the closest they came to score was when Alex Iwobi tried a long range effort which sailed narrowly wide.

Super Eagles ended the half the better team and upon resumption for the second half coach of the team Gernot Rohr replaced Frank Onyeka with Mikel Agu.

Further substitutions were made by coach of the Nigerian team but still couldn’t find a way back into the game handing Algeria their second straight win over Nigeria in their last two meetings.

FC Midtjylland of Denmark midfield maestro Frank Onyeka has been handed his senior international bow by coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr.

The 22 year old was listed in a midfield three alongside Alex Iwobi and Semi Ajayi with Iwobi ahead of him. Onyeka will play in the central midfield role in today’s friendly against Algeria.

Mikel Agu was widely tipped to start the game but during yesterday’s virtual pre match conference Rohr pointed out the qualities that he has seen in the 22 year old.

Rohr praises his attitude and also revealed that he made a very good impression during training. “Good person, quiet and he is all the time available to get the ball and play forward,He has make a very good impression in training also”, he said.

Below is the lineup for the game against Algeria.

Maduka Okoye
Tyronne Ebuehi
Zaidu Sanusi
Leon Balogun
William Troost Ekong
Alex Iwobi
Frank Onyeka
Semi Ajayi
Samuel Kalu
Samuel Chukwueze
Paul Onuachu

The coach is the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has released his lineup for today’s friendly game against Algeria, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

As reported earlier the duo of Leon Balogun and William Troost Ekong have been handed another chance to play as a pair in central defence. The pairing the earned them the nickname “Oyibo Wall “

In goal Sparta Rotterdam shot stopper Maduka Okoye was picked to start despite Rohr speaking extensively on the qualities of Matthew Yakubu. Semi Ajayi as reported yesterday will play in the role vacated by the injured Wilfred Ndidi.

Alongside him In is Frank Onyeka who will be behind Alex Iwobi. The Everton man will play as the attacking midfielder of the team with the trio of Samuel Kalu, Samuel Chukwueze and Paul Onuachu leading the team’s chase for goals.

Maduka Okoye
Tyronne Ebuehi
Zaidu Sanusi
Leon Balogun
William Troost Ekong
Alex Iwobi
Frank Onyeka
Semi Ajayi
Samuel Kalu
Samuel Chukwueze
Paul Onuachu

Barring a last minute change of mind , coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has picked the duo of William Troost Ekong and Leon Balogun as his pair in central defence.

The coach has decided to go for the combination famously called “Oyibo Wall” with Semi Ajayi who has paired Ekong in the last two games moved into midfield.

Ekong paired Balogun in the qualifiers for the World Cup 2018 where Nigeria had a smooth ride to the tournament in Russia with many crediting the success on the strength of their defence.

Ajayi will take the role of injured Wilfred Ndidi forcing Rohr into making a decision on his pairing in defence. Kenneth Omeruo who was a regular at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations drops to the bench.

Omeruo will alongside the duo of Chidozie Awaziem and Kevin Akpoguma be on the bench as back up during the course of the game but they could find themselves back in favour when they play against Tunisia on the 13th.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr yesterday confirmed that FC Porto leftback Zaidu Sanusi will start ahead of Jamilu Collins for Nigeria against Algeria.

The coach in a virtual press conference yesterday said Sanusi was picked in order to keep the dangerman of Algeria Riyad Mahrez in check later today.

Sanusi who is new to the team impressed the technical crew with his strength, pace and marking abilities during the training sessions of the team, particularly when he was played against Samuel Chukwueze.

Rohr in a bid to see how the left backs in his team will cope against Mahrez who likes to operate from the right tried both players against Chukwueze who is a bit similar to the Manchester City man.

While Zaidu was able to cope to an extent same can’t be said about Collins who appeared to be suffering from his lack of game time at relegated Bundesliga side Paderborn. He hasn’t played a game since the start of the season.

Their performance against Chukwueze was part of the parameters used in picking who will start and Zaidu edged Collins hence got the nod.

Hoffenheim of Germany defender Kevin Akpoguma is in line to make his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria according to coach Gernot Rohr.

The coach revealed that he will play the 25 year old who recently switched allegiance to Nigeria from Germany when they take on Algeria later today in an international friendly game in Austria.

Rohr made this known during a virtual press conference ahead of today’s game and went further in explaining the length of time it took him to convince the former German U20 captain to switch allegiance to Nigeria.

He also hinted that he will play a three man formation in order to get the best out of the defender as he thrives better in the system which has been used by Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga this season.

“It was not easy to get Akpoguma because he played a lot of game for the junior team of Germany but with I visit his dad with his mum and also see his game at Hoffenheim for the past two years we have been in touch and now finally he decided to join us”, Rohr said.

“He will surely play but I don’t know if he will start the game because it’s his first game not easy for a new player to start. He is a very important new player for us but we can only play with three at the back with him”.

CSKA Moscow new signing Chidera Ejuke is making it hard for coach of the senior national team of Nigeria to pick a winger for today’s game against Algeria.

Ejuke was called up for the first time by coach of the team Gernot Rohr largely due to his performance in Holland while at Heerenveen. His form also earned him the move to CSKA Moscow.

Rohr revealed that the 22 year old has so far been impressive in training ahead of today’s game making it difficult for him to pick who will start among the five wingers in the team at the moment.

He listed Ejuke as one of the options he will decide on playing later today when he makes the lineup for the game against Algeria public.

“He is more a winger doing very well he can play on both side also. Now we have five wingers who are very strong”, Rohr said.

“We have already Samuel Kalu, Samuel Chukwueze, Ahmed Musa , Moses Simon and Ejuke now. So you can imagine it’s not easy for me to make a choice for me because they are doing very well at the moment but we also have to watch what they are doing at their club and also with us”.

Coach of the national team of Algeria Djamel Belmadi has revealed why they accepted to play the senior national team of Nigeria in a friendly game.

Both teams will clash later today in Austria in what will be a repeat of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations semi final game which Algeria won 1-0.

Beyond that the coach of the Algerian side believe the game will be a real test for his team as Nigeria is a very difficult side to play against as they are presently the second best team in the continent base on FIFA rankings.

“I opted for difficult matches because I believe the progress of a team depends on that “, the 44 year old coach said.

“ We could have accept to play against smaller teams but I had the requirement to play two prestigious matches against Nigeria and Mexico. Nigeria everyone knows they are the second best team in the FIFA/CAF ranking”.

The reason behind the exclusion of FC Lugano of Switzerland first choice Sebastian Osigwe in the squad for the games against Algeria and later Tunisia.

Ahead of the game, coach of the team Gernot Rohr was asked his reason for excluding the 26 year old who has kept in more matches this season and also plays in a league highly rated than that of the goalkeepers in camp.

Rohr explained that he picked the three goalkeepers who are in contention for tomorrow’s game Maduka Okoye, Dele Alampasu and Matthew Yakubu five weeks ago.

He said as at that time, Osigwe wasn’t playing regularly for FC Lugano but with his current form he will likely get a call up if he maintains it.

“ Yes we are following him, he was playing in the second division in Switzerland before and you know already that we had to do the list five weeks ago and then he didn’t start to play in Switzerland”, the coach said.

“So five weeks ago we made the list without knowing if the players are playing or not. it was based on what they did in the season before, so he played well in Switzerland second division but it’s the second division.

“So he is doing it in the first division so now his chance is bigger to be called. I also do my list with the goalkeepers coach”.

SKF Sered goalkeeper Matthew Yakubu will make his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria In one of their two upcoming friendly games according to Gernot Rohr.

Rohr has three goalkeepers to pick from in his squad for tomorrow’s game in Maduka Okoye, Dele Alampasu and Matthew Yakubu. All three are in contention to play in the games.

However, the coach said the newly invited goalkeeper has been really impressive in training and will likely get a chance to prove himself either against Algeria or Tunisia.

While speaking on the new goalkeepers, the coach was particular about Yakubu who aside from having regular run of games at his club has shown he has the quality to be a future goalkeeper of the team.

“ Yakubu has the chance to be the Super Eagles first choice in the future. The goalkeeper coaches like him a lot. He is very good and like most goalkeepers these day he can use his legs very well”, Rohr said during a virtual press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“ He isn’t the tallest but he has a very good leap which helps him to make up for his height and he handles the ball very well. He will be in goal In one of the games. Our coaches said he is very good “.