WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIER
Algeria has moved next month’s World Cup 2018 qualifier against Nigeria back to Blida as they aim to salvage some national pride in this dead rubber game. The match is scheduled for November 10.
The North Africans lost 1-0 to Zambia in Constantine in September after they were forced to a 1-1 draw in their opening World Cup qualifier in October 2016.
Group B bottom team Algeria’s only point from the qualifiers was therefore achieved in Blida.
Meanwhile, Rabah Madjer has been tipped to return to make drastic changes as Algeria coach for a fourth time with his first match being the dead-rubber 2018 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.
Madjer, who will be assisted by Djamel Menad, will be expected to effect a revolution in the national team as he has been against players who have played at age-grade levels for France.
Interestingly, Algeria fought back to international reckoning after they capped at full international level many players who were born in France and even played for that country’s age-group teams.
Madjer’s appointment is coming a fortnight after the Spaniard Lucas Alcaraz was fired following three losses in the World Cup qualifiers.
Madjer, 58, has been considered ahead of another former international 41-year-old Djamel Belmadi.
The former FC Porto Madjer last worked as a coach in 2006. He has been Algeria coach in 1994-95, 1999 and 2001-2002.
However, Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, told SCORENigeria he hopes to line up his strongest team against Algeria even though Nigeria has already qualified for Russia 2018.
Rohr said he wants to finish the qualifying campaign unbeaten and will rather parade an experimental team in a friendly after the match against Algeria. Morocco is likely to be one of Nigeria’s opponents for friendly games.
