2019 AFCON: Nigeria Tackles Algeria For Final Ticket

BY COBHAM NSA – The Super Eagles of Nigeria and Desert Foxes of Algeria have set themselves up for a classic date in the semi-finals stage of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

After seeing off Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in their quarter-final encounters, both countries will rekindle their age-long rivalry on Sunday in search of a final berth inside the magnificent Cairo International Stadium come Friday, July 19, 2019.

On the continental scene, the two countries have traded tackles 19 times with Nigeria winning on nine (9) occasions, drawing three (3) and losing seven (7). The last meeting between both countries in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers saw the Algerians winning by default after FIFA penalized Nigeria for using an ineligible player in their one-all stalemate at Constantine

The Desert Foxes are former African champions, having won the championship on home soil in 1990. That triumph, which was 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the final match, has remained Algeria’s first and only continental title till date.

Nigeria are three-times champions after churning out victories in the continental fiesta in 1980, 1994 and 2013

The Algerians advanced to the semi-final stage on Thursday by digging deep for a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over former champions, Cote d’Ivoire. It was a hard-fought win after both sides saw off 120 minutes of impressive football with the scores tied at one-all.

The Super Eagles, on their part got the semi-final spot at the expense of their South African counterparts, Bafana Bafana on Wednesday. The Coach Gernot Rohr-tutored side broke the South Africans’ heart on the night with a 2-1 win in Cairo.

The head-to-head records of Nigeria’s Super Eagles against Desert Foxes of Algeria