TheSuperNerd:
Speaking of Algeria's regulars, there'll be No El-hilel Soudani, no Ryad Boudebouz and now.... No Faouzi Ghoulam. I earlier reported he was 50-50..... Na wa oooo...... Meanwhile, the called-up Yaccine Benzia is a very good player. He stars for Lille. Bennaccer is of Arsenal.
.......................................................................

ALGERIA SUFFER ANOTHER INJURY BLOW
AFTER NAPOLI ACE GHOULAM OPTS OUT






Napoli and Algeria defender Faouzi Ghoulam has
been ruled out of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier
in Nigeria after he suffered a groin injury.


Twenty-five-year-old left back Ghoulam has been an injury concern and now it has been
announced he is out of the clash in Uyo and will
not be on the flight to Nigeria on Thursday.


Ghoulam’s withdrawal has made it increasingly
difficult for coach Georges Leekens to line up a
formidable after three top players were also lost to injuries earlier this week.


Midfielders Rachid Ghezzal and Ryad Boudebouz
as well as striker Hilal Soudani opted out of the
World Cup qualifier in Nigeria on account of
injury.

Ghezzal and Boudebouz were examined by Algeria team doctors before they were excused from the training camp, while Dynamo Zagreb striker Soudani did not even fly down to Algiers.


They have since been replaced by Baghdad
Bounedjah, Yassine Benzia and Ismael Bennacer.


Source: http://africanfootball.com//news/662802/Algeria-suffer-another-injury-blow-after-Napoli-ace-Ghoulam-opts-out

safarigirl:
the same way closet tribalists came out of their cave after Buhari's win and were preaching a genocide against the Igbo race?

Maybe there will be incidences in redneck populated areas, but just like I said, hardly as bad as most of you are predicting it. Last last, shey you get your Nigerian passport?

krattoss:
no no no.. its no more funny...
I mean I need that match to be a cracker so the nff can sell some TV rights across Africa and the world...

no more injuries to the Algerians please...
not like we are that coward...

safarigirl:
the same way closet tribalists came out of their cave after Buhari's win and were preaching a genocide against the Igbo race?

Maybe there will be incidences in redneck populated areas, but just like I said, hardly as bad as most of you are predicting it. Last last, shey you get your Nigerian passport?

TheSuperNerd:
My brother.... I'm with you on this ooo.... Haba!

The Algerians don dey vex me since with Soudani's and Boudebouz's injuries.... Now Ghoulam don commot.

Which way naa?? I smell chickening out Joor....

Well, that's minus three solid regulars (Soudani, Boudebouz and Ghoulam) for them. Ghezzal is not really a regular but a key sub in their squad.


To replace Boudebouz in midfield, they still have Bentaleb Nabil who may pair with Taider in a 4-2-3-1/4-5-1.

Ghezzal was always gonna play second fiddle to Feghouli. And Soudani's absence may give room for Benzia to partner Slimani in attack if they go with two upfront or Benzia will start from the bench with Slimani starting in a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 with Mahrez and Brahimi/Guediora from the flanks.

BascoVanVeli:


Big names mean nothing, Algeria still has enough players. We need to expect the best from Algeria we can't take them for granted. This is not going to be easy.

pelvicky:
On no account should omeruo be caught one on one with mahrez

TheSuperNerd:
Isnt that what the post you quoted tried to still point out....?

Coach Rohr with Iheanacho - the man to score the goals against Algeria on Saturday

BascoVanVeli:


reiteration improves the nation.

AIG07:
*Sighs*
hmmm...
*takes in a deep breath*

I'm already anticipating how d smell (aroma) of a roasted Algeria team will climb up d stadium diffusing round d nation therefore leaving Nigerians to no other option dan to savour for more.

Etebo-Nacho combo gotta be lethal.

TheSuperNerd:
ROHR'S 5 BIG SURPRISES AGAINST ALGERIA






Ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifier against the Fennecs of Algeria on Saturday, there are a few patterns that are emerging in the Nigeria training camp ahead of the game.


While nothing can be confirmed yet as they still
have two days of training before the team
selection is done, there are however a few things that can be discerned from the how team has prepared between Tuesday and Wednesday.


Let’s take a look at FIVE things that could play
out on game day that could take the fans, and
even the Algerians by surprise -


1. ALAMPASU COULD BE IN GOAL

While this cannot be confirmed yet, but it does
seem the 19-year-old will get his seniot
international debut against the Algerians, if what has been seen from their training sessions are anything to go by.
Daniel Akpeyi is the most experienced goalkeeper in the fold and is the popular choice to play on Saturday, but selection patterns have so far suggested Alampasu might be the one selected.


2. ETEBO COULD START

The Feirense of Portugal attacker only arrived on Tuesday afternoon and had only his second training session with the team on Wednesday
morning, but it does look like he will start on
Saturday.
His first cap for the Super Eagles came in March
against Egypt in Kaduna in an Africa Cup of
Nations qualifier, and he started and scored
Nigeria’s goal in the 1-1 draw. He could be in line for another start on Saturday.


3. AHMED MUSA ON THE BENCH AGAIN

Vice-Captain Ahmed Musa will most likely start
this game from the bench, if the emerging
pattern were to be followed.

The Leicester City winger appears to have lost his place to Alex Iwobi and the returning Victor
Moses, and just like it was in Ndola last month
against Zambia, he is most likely to start from the bench again in Uyo.


4. IHEANACHO AS CENTRE-FORWARD, IGHALO AND IDEYE ON THE BENCH

It appears the Manchester City youngster will
start as the centre-forward ahead of the more
experienced Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye.

Both Ighalo and Ideye have not been firing for the Super Eagles, while Iheanacho has scored twice in his last two games for the team and it does seem that Gernot Rohr will hand him a starting position as Nigeria’s number 9 on Saturday.


5. KENNETH OMERUO AT LEFT BACK

Omeruo, 23, played right back for the most part during his loan spell at Ado Den Haag in Holland, and one wouldn’t have been surprised to see him deployed to that position on Saturday, but left back?

Well, if the indications are anything to go by, he
will play there against the Algerians.

Elderson Echiejile only joined the team on
Tuesday evening and didn’t train until Wednesday morning, while Kingsley Madu doesn’t look like he enjoys Rohr’s confidence at the moment, so when the game kicks off, do not be surprised to see Omeruo at left back.


Source: http://africanfootball.com//news/662820/Rohrs-5-big-surprises-against-Algeria

KevinDein:
Omeruo, right footed, playing left back could prove to be a master stroke since the Algerians employ inverse wingers. If he gets the nod in that position, he'll likely come up against the left footed Mahrez who traditionally loves to cut in field and hence right into the stronger foot of Omeruo in so doing.

KevinDein:
Omeruo, right footed, playing left back could prove to be a master stroke since the Algerians employ inverted wingers. If he gets the nod in that position, he'll likely come up against the left footed Mahrez who traditionally loves to cut in field and hence right into the stronger foot of Omeruo in so doing.

TheSuperNerd:



We’ll get result against ‘quality’ Eagles,
says Algeria’s Mandi



Ahead of this weekend’s 2018 World Cup
qualifiers against Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Algeria’s Aissa Mandi acknowledged the quality of the Super Eagles but boasted that they would surely get the needed result against the West African giant.


The Real Betis of Spain star told Lebuteur.com
that they would be coming to Nigeria to pick the
three maximum points in Uyo.


“Nigeria is a great team which has in its ranks,
players of quality who play in the biggest teams
of Europe. We know that this game will be
difficult and that it will be played on details. We
will go there with the ambition to get a good
result,” Mandi said.


The player is not giving up on Algeria’s chance of making it to Russia 2018 by saying,
“As always, the atmosphere is perfect in the group. We are preparing in good condition for this match against Nigeria and I can assure you that we will do everything possible to get a positive result there. We will go to Nigeria with a positive spirit and we will spare no effort to get the three points of this game,” he boasted.


“No, we are not back on the wall, for the simple
reason that there are still five games to play in
the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. We must not be
alarmed, because of this poor performance at
home against Cameroon. We will go to Nigeria
confident and with our weapons. I remain
convinced that we have the means to look for a
positive outcome there,” he added.


On the shaky defence of the Algerian side, Mandi said: “No, we must stop criticizing the defence. Football is a collective sport. We win together and we lose together. I think it was the whole team that was missing out on Cameroon, not just the defence. The state of mind within the team is very positive and I can assure you that there was never any problem between the players. All is well within the selection and it is in the most total serenity that we prepare this match against Nigeria. The players are aware of the task ahead and we will do everything possible to get a positive result.”


Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/well-get-result-quality-eagles-says-algerias-mandi/

chimzyblack:
very very good observation, but me as a perslon, I have no trust in omeruo as a defender, I can never forget how RANTIE uselessly finished omeruo during the 2015 nations cup qualifyer in uyo, his mistake against Zambia caused us some troubles during the closing stages of the last match. He is a defender that makes mistakes where you least expect him to make.
We Urgently need to find good players to cover our left back position because to me that is our weakest spot in that defense.

TheGoodJoe:


Omeruo came back from a long layoff due to an injury. Ranti met him when he just returned. It was an unfit Omeruo against South Africa.

tbaba1234:


What happened against Luxemburg and Zambia? The man can be error prone.

tbaba1234:


What happened against Luxemburg and Zambia? The man can be error prone.

TheGoodJoe:


We can hinge on the error but Omeruo was amazing against the Zambians. Without his hard work and effort, the Zambians would have found room to cause us problems.

Omeruo played virtually two shifts in the game. Some times, he drifted to the right to help.


Either way, I pointed the South African game, not Luxembourg or Zambia. In the South African game, it was not his error but lack of fitness due to a long layoff.

If any wants to tag him error prone due to Zambia and Luxembourg, they are free. Adding South Africa is totally off.