Only Iwobi is super

Algeria’s new coach, Rabah Madjer, has described the Super Eagles as a team of benchwarmers, which has only one regular player in its squad.

The final game of Caf’s World Cup 2018 Group B campaign sees Nigeria travel to the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine to take on Algeria. The match is a dead rubber as the Super Eagles’ route to Russia is sealed, while the Desert Warriors will definitely finish last in the group.

Speaking ahead of today’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria, Madjer, who was one of the stars of the great Algerian side of the 1980s, said the Super Eagles should not pose any threat to the North Africans because it is a team with many players who don’t get to play for their European clubs.

“I have studied the Nigerian team, apart from Iwobi, every other player is mostly a substitute for his team in Europe, but that doesn’t mean they will not be at the level to face us.

“The game against Nigeria is not a friendly match for me…to me it is the first game of the qualifiers for the 2018 African Cup of Nations in Cameroun,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian team was impressed with the welcome accorded them as they landed in Constantine on Thursday.

According to the official Twitter handle of the Super Eagles, the team was well received by the people of Algeria on arrival.

“We have arrived safely in Constantine, Algeria. The reception by the Algerian people was very warm and cordial #SoarSuperEagles,” @NGSuperEagles tweeted with pictures of the squad at the airport.