Algeria will be hoping to put a disappointing year behind them when they clash with Nigeria on Tuesday. They saw their hold on the Africa Cup of Nations come to an end in January, before they failed to qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria is their opponent this week in their final international fixture of 2022.
International Friendly Preview
It has been an extremely disappointing year for Algeria in 2022. Their hold on the Africa Cup of Nations trophy was brought to an end in emphatic fashion, as they were knocked out in the group stage, while their misery was extended after being knocked out of World Cup contention in the third round by Cameroon.
However, since then, they have looked back to somewhere near their best form. They come into this fixture after picking up wins in their previous four fixtures, while they have conceded just once during that run of matches. Algeria has scored seven goals during that period, with their latest win being a 1-0 success against Guinea on Friday. The match-winning goal in that fixture was scored ten minutes from time by Islam Slimani.
Nigeria is one of the other big nations that will be missing from the World Cup later this year, as they were knocked out of contention in the third round by Ghana in March. Since then, their form has been sketchy to say the least, as they have won twice in the four matches that they have played.
Both wins came in Africa Cup of Nations qualification, beating both Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principle. The latter of those wins was their most recent outing, as they recorded a healthy 10-0 victory over their group rivals in June. Victor Osimhen was the star of the show in that victory, as he scored four times.
Algeria vs Nigeria Head to Head
Neither side holds the advantage in the overall record, as both Algeria and Nigeria have picked up nine victories apiece in the past. However, Algeria has a very strong recent record, as they have won the previous three matches that they have played against Nigeria.
Algeria vs Nigeria Prediction
Algeria’s healthy recent record against Nigeria makes them the pick to win this fixture on Tuesday. We expect this match to be a close encounter, but the preference is for the home side to pick up a 2-1 victory against their rivals.