Super Eagles fixtures: Who are Nigeria playing during the international break?
Although Nigeria will not be participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they have prepared two international games for the rest of 2022.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation, these outings would help Jose Peseiro prepare the Super Eagles for next year’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures.
GOAL guides you through the three-time African champions' next two matches, against Algeria and Portugal.
ALGERIA VS NIGERIA
The Super Eagles’ first friendly is against Algeria on September 27 inside Stade Olympique d'Oran.
Nigeria have named a solid squad for the North Africans but will be without captain Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Leon Balogun, and Henry Onyekuru due to contrasting injury worries.
Despite this, Peseiro will look to the likes of Valentine Ozornwafor, Godwin Saviour and Ebube Duru for inspiration.
Judging by August’s Fifa rankings, Nigeria are fourth in Africa and 31st in the world. The Algerians are seventh on the continent and 41st globally.
The last time they locked horns was in a friendly on October 9, 2020. At Jacques Lemans Arena, Algeria triumphed 1-0 with Ramy Bensebaini scoring the only goal.
ALGERIA SQUAD FOR NIGERIA
Algeria released a 24-man squad to face the Super Eagles with Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and former Leicester City star Islam Slimani making Djamel Belmadi’s squad.
Goalkeepers: Zeghba, Mandera, Oukidja
Defenders: Atal, Zedadka, Benyada, Bensebaini, Mandi, Bedrane, Tougai, Touba
Midfielders: Bennacer, Zerrouki, Boudaoui, Zorgane, Bentaleb, Mrezigue
Forwards: Mahrez, Ounas, Belaili, Brahimi, Derlot, Slimani, Amoura
PORTUGAL VS NIGERIA
Two months after taking on Algeria, Nigeria will return to action, this time against Portugal at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
Portugal is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe.
Going into this encounter, these countries have never met at senior level. Nonetheless, Fernando Santos’ men have enjoyed a good run of results.
In their last six matches played in all competitions, the 2016 European champions secured four victories, one draw and one defeat.
Their decision to face Peseiro’s team is understandable because they have been zoned against another West African team in Ghana in Group H of the 2022 Fifa World Cup.