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VIDEO & PHOTOS: STRANGE & FASCINATING FACTS OF ALGERIA – NIGERIA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

 

When Nigeria faces Algeria in Constantine on Friday, it will be 13 years four months and 21 days since the Super Eagles last lost a World Cup qualifying match. This translates to 4,891 days of an unbeaten streak across 34 matches.

The dead rubber match will be the 20th encounter of both teams since their first clash at the second All Africa Games in Lagos in 1973. That maiden encounter ended 2-2 draw, Algeria being the only team Nigeria did not beat on the road to win its first continental honour – the gold medal of the football event of the All Africa Games.

In significance, Friday’s match  may not have much value as Nigeria’s Super Eagles are already qualified for the Russia 2018 World Cup, while Algeria have since crashed out two match days before now.

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It is therefore not a star attraction in the mould of the Cote d’Ivoire versus Morocco clash which is a winner-takes-all episode.

But Sports Village Square analysis will reveal that the Algeria-Nigeria encounter has great significance for eternal storage.  Here are some of the insightful points of the encounter.

 

  • Nigeria was the last team Algeria faced to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1981. Algeria beat Nigeria 0-2 in Lagos on October 10, 1981 and 2-1 in Constantine on October 30, 1981 to qualify for 1982 World Cup.

 

  • Algeria was the last team Nigeria faced to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1993. Needing just a draw, the Super Eagles played 1-1 draw with Algeria on October 8, 1993 to become the first Anglophone country in Africa to qualify for the World Cup.

 

  • Nigeria will be attempting to extend the Super Eagles’ unbeaten run to 35 matches in the World Cup qualifying series. This is the longest in Africa. Nigeria last lost a World Cup qualifying match in Luanda on June 20, 2004 when Angola had a 1-0 win in the race to Germany 2006. Nigeria’s record is the second longest unbeaten run globally after that of Spain’s 59. Nigeria’s 34 unbeaten run is even four ahead that of World Cup holders, Germany. Next to that are those of Cote d’Ivoire and Switzerland both at 25 matches each.

 

  • Both Algeria and Nigeria were the last two African teams standing at the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

 

  • Both teams lost to European sides on the same day at the Brazil 2014 Round of 16 encounters. Nigeria lost 0-2 to France; Algeria lost 1-2 to Germany. If the two African teams had won their Round of 16 matches, they would have clashed in the quarter finals, thus an African team could had gotten to the semi finals. It would have also been the first time two African teams clashed at the World Cup.

 

  • Former Nigeria’s strongman of defence, Bright Omokaro, got his nickname of “Ten-Ten” when he hacked down an Algerian player who could neither return to the field nor be substituted and that evened the line-up after Nigeria’s Ademola Adeshina had been red-carded. Maverick Nigerian radio commentator, the late Ernest Okonkwo screamed: “Omokaro has made it ten-ten.”  From then, ‘Ten-Ten’ became the nickname of the hard tackling defender.

 

  • It is another clash of Rabah Madjer and Alloy Agu, the two captains of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations final match which Algeria won 1-0. Rabah Madjer who captained the Algerian team is now the head coach. Agu who also captained Nigeria in the match is in the technical crew of the Super Eagles as the goalkeeper trainer.

 

  • Since the third round of the World Cup qualifying series began in Africa last year October, Algeria, the initial highest ranked African team and hot favourites to top the Group 2 which was aptly tagged “Group of Death”, has not won any match in the series, losing all, and drawing just the opener against Cameroon. Will Nigeria achieve a double over Algeria as Zambia did?
  • Both Algeria and Nigeria have green as their dominant national colours.

 

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         ALGERIA FLAG                                                                                                NIGERIA FLAG

  • Their names have almost the same alphabets, and sounding almost the same. The differences in the names of Algeria and Nigeria are just the first two alphabets of their respective names.
  • The Constantine encounter will be the 20th of both countries overall, but the eighth in World Cup qualifying series.

 

         Head-to-Head: ALGERIA vs. NIGERIA

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                    P        W        D        L        F        A

Nigeria        19       8        4        7       27      22

Algeria        19       7        4        8       22      27

 

  • 10 January 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 2-2 Algeria
  • 28 March 1978 (3AAG) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
  • 22 March 1980 (CAN) Nigeria 3-0 Algeria
  • 10 October 1981 (WCq) Nigeria 0-2 Algeria
  • 30 October 1981 (WCq) Algeria 2-1 Nigeria
  • 10 March 1982 (CAN) Algeria 2-1 Nigeria
  • 11 March 1984 (CAN) Algeria 0-0 Nigeria
  • 15 January 1988 (Oq) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
  • 30 January 1988 (Oq) Nigeria 2-0 Algeria
  • 23 March 1988 (CAN) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria *(8 -9 penalty shoot-out)
  • 2 March 1990 (CAN) Algeria 5-1 Nigeria
  • 16 March 1990 (CAN) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
  • 13 July 1993 (WCq) Nigeria 4-1 Algeria
  • 8 October 1993 (WCq) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria
  • 21 January 2002 (CAN) Algeria 0-1 Nigeria
  • 3 July 2004 (WCq) Nigeria 1-0 Algeria
  • 8 September 2005 (WCq) Algeria 2-5 Nigeria
  • 30 January 2010 (CAN) Algeria 0-1 Nigeria
  • 12 November 2016 (WCq) Nigeria 3-1 Algeria
  • When both teams met in Uyo last year’s November, it was Nigeria’s milestone of 100th World Cup qualifying match and 50th home game.

 

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  • The November 12, 2016 match in Uyo was Nigeria’s 100th World Cup qualifying match.
  • When they meet again on November 10 in Constantine, it will be Algeria’s 95th World Cup qualifying match and Nigeria’s 104th, the second highest in Africa after Morocco’s 111st.
  • Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha scored 16 goals for Nigeria in his entire career. The first of the goals was a converted free kick against Algeria in a July 13, 1993 World Cup match in Lagos which Nigeria won 4-1.

 

  • Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s brother, Emma Okocha made his international debut in a match with Algeria on March 2, 1990.

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  • The Okocha Brothers: Emma ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Austin ‘Jay Jay ‘ Okocha scored land mark goals against Algeria.

 

  • Emma Okocha’s only goal for Nigeria was scored against Algeria in the opening match of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algiers. Nigeria lost 5-1.
  • Algeria was the team Nigeria beat to win its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980. The then Green Eagles won 3-0 on March 22, 1980. blank
  • Nigeria’s Skipper Christian Chukwu lifts the Africa Cup of Nations trophy after a 3-0 defeat of Algeria on March 22, 1980 in Lagos.

 

  • Nigeria was the country Algeria beat in 1990 to win its only Africa Cup of Nations title till date. Algeria beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final match played in Algiers on Match 16, 1990.

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  • Nigerian football legend, Segun Odegbami played his last international match when Nigeria faced Algeria in Constantine on October 30, 1981.Nigeria lost the match 2-1.

 

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  • Segun Odegbami unfamiliarly put on shirt number 9 in his very last international match, a World Cup qualifying match with Algeria on October 30, 1981.

 

  • Rabah Madjer, Algeria greatest football icon will have his baptism of fire as Algeria’s coach when the team faces Nigeria on Friday.

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  • Rabah Madjer, captain of Algeria in confrontation with Nigeria’s Isaac Semitoje during the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations final match. Madjer will be leading Algeria to face Nigeria, this time as a coach.
  • Former Nigeria’s captain, Christian Chukwu’s last match for Nigeria was against Algeria on October 10, 1981 in a World Cup qualifying duel which Nigeria shockingly lost 0-2 at home. It was also the case for Thompson Usiyen, one of Nigeria’s potent strikers in the seventies.
  • Algeria was a victim of an alleged World Cup match fixing episode in Gijon Spain in a West Germany versus Austria match. Two years later, Algeria and Nigeria were alleged to have played an “accord match” in a Group B Africa Cup of Nations match in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. The referee of the match, Karim Camara of Guinea, had to issue a yellow card to the captains of both sides, Stephen Keshi for Nigeria and Ali Feghani for Algeria.

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  • Dateline: Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire March  11, 1984 – Guinean referee, Karim Camara issues a yellow card to skippers Stephen Keshi of Nigeria and Ali Feghani of Algeria. The gesture is actually a general caution to both teams for ‘unsporting’ behaviour.

 

  • Algeria once beat Nigeria silly, 5-1 in Algiers, Algeria. Nigeria also once beat Algeria silly 5-2 in Oran, Algeria.

 

 

 

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Israel facing potential UEFA suspension vote as political pressure mounts

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UEFA appears poised for an emergency vote on suspending Israel from European competition next week, with national federations scrambling to position themselves amid mounting political pressure following calls for action.

The brewing crisis intensified this week when United Nations experts called for Israel’s suspension from international football amid the unfolding genocide in occupied Palestinian territory.

A source confirmed that Europe’s soccer body could potentially decide next week to vote on whether to suspend Israel from European competition.

Should UEFA vote to ban Israel, it would put the organisation on a collision course with the government of the United States — co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup — which is vehemently against such a motion.

“We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup,” a spokesperson for the U.S. state department told Sky News.

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But even though UEFA has the power to suspend Israel or its clubs from their competitions, it may not be able to stop them from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which fall under the ambit of global soccer body FIFA.

The general secretaries of all UEFA national associations are meeting this week in Marbella, where Israel is not officially on the agenda, but officials expect UEFA to call an emergency vote next week.

FIFA did not respond to a Reuters request for comment while UEFA declined to comment.

Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub said Israelis should not be allowed to participate in any matches, whether they are under UEFA or FIFA.

“Israel has violated the principles, values and FIFA’s statutes. Therefore, I believe that Israel should be sanctioned,” Rajoub told TV2.

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“The sanctions should come from UEFA and FIFA.”

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Israel’s national team are set to face Norway and Italy, the top two teams in their World Cup qualifying group, next month.

“We don’t have any indications that we are facing such an act (UEFA suspension),” a spokesperson for the Israel Football Association told Reuters.

“We are focusing on our international matches against Norway and Italy.”

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is one of the member associations that have been the driving force behind calling for a meeting on the Israel situation. The NFF declined to comment.

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Lise Klaveness, the president of the NFF and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, has also been vocal about the crisis in Gaza ahead of her country’s home game against Israel on October 11.

“Neither we nor other organisations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time,” Klaveness said in a statement last month.

“We want to donate the proceeds (from the game) to a humanitarian organisation that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground.”

The Dutch football federation (KNVB) said it knows nothing about a vote to suspend Israel.

“As soon as the football association receives a message about this, it will take a position,” the KNVB told Dutch outlet NOS.

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Last week, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be banned from international sports competitions. However, officials from the Spanish FA (RFEF) have kept a low profile on the matter.

Israel maintains that its war is not against the population of Gaza but against the Hamas militant group whose fighters led the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and precipitated the war.

The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 people, according to local health officials.

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WAFU-B U17 Championship: Golden Eaglets rout Baby Cheetahs 4-1 in Yamoussoukro

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George Agha with his MVP award on Wednesday.

A hat-trick from George Agha and a sublime free-kick goal from David Edeh ensured a comfortable start for five-time world champions Nigeria in the WAFU-B U17 Championship, as the Golden Eaglets routed Baby Cheetahs of Benin Republic 4 -1 in Yamoussoukro on Wednesday.

Agha converted from the spot three minutes into the game after Boluwatife Thompson was hacked inside the box.

Edeh displayed fantastic football artistry to score from a free-kick in the 5th minute of the encounter.

The Eaglets were in cruise control as Agha bagged his brace in the 14th minute. The charges of Manu Garba were very dominant with a three-goal advantage.

Warris Soumanou in goal for Benin Republic was caught napping and his error of judgement gave the Eaglets another goal after a beautiful exchange of passes and dribbles between Thompson and Edeh, which set up Agha for his  hat-trick in the 32nd minute.

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It was raining goals and it was the turn of the Beninoise in the 45th minute, as a low drive from Jeremy Zannou gave the Baby Cheetahs a consolation goal.

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Last-gasp Salah penalty earns below-par Liverpool dramatic victory at Burnley

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Premier League - Burnley v Liverpool - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - September 14, 2025 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action with Burnley's Hjalmar Ekdal REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Mohamed Salah’s dramatic stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley on Sunday.

With British record signing Alexander Isak forced to wait for his Liverpool debut having been left out the squad for the trip to Lancashire, the champions struggled to break down a dogged home side in the first half.

After a regroup at the break, the visitors upped the ante in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai finally forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka in the Burnley goal.

Burnley were holding on for a well-earned point with ease, before the ball agonisingly struck substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s arm in the penalty area and Salah slotted the spot kick into the net in the 95th minute to break home hearts.

Liverpool are still to really get going this season, requiring a winner in the last 10 minutes of all four of their league victories so far. The goal that clinched an undeserved success at Turf Moor was certainly the most fortunate.

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After one of the longest transfer sagas in Premier League history finally reached its expected conclusion, Liverpool supporters were forced to wait two weeks for their first glimpse of their 125-million-pound ($169.45-million) goal machine due to the international break.

While coach Arne Slot said this week that Isak would have to be utilised carefully due to his previous injuries and lack of action so far this season, the Swede was still expected to at least be on the bench at Turf Moor.

The wait goes on as, without their expensive new forward, Liverpool mustered just one shot on target in the first half, from left-back Andrew Robertson.

Burnley, who conceded the fewest goals in English football league history last term to earn them promotion, otherwise frustrated the champions with ease. Even Lesley Ugochukwu’s red card for two bookings in the 84th minute did not seem to fluster them.

Even without Isak, Liverpool still had much attacking talent on the Turf Moor pitch but they just could not find that killer pass.

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Salah was especially below par but he made no mistake in the most pressurised moment after Hannibal had stuck up an arm to block Jeremie Frimpong’s cross

The champions’ impressive Premier League goalscoring streak stretches to 38 games nonetheless, their longest such run in the competition.

-Reuters

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