The Super Eagles have a new venue for Friday’s friendly encounter against African champions Algeria, organisers Eurodata Sport announced on Thursday.
The match between three-time African champions and reigning continental champions Algeria was originally scheduled for the Jacques LeMans Arena but organisers say it will now hold at the Worthersee Stadion, Klangenfurt.
No reason was given for the shift in venue for the encounter.
Meanwhile, the venue for next Tuesday’s friendly against Tunisia remains unchanged with the match set to hold at the Jacques LeMans Arena as originally planned.
Kickoff for both encounters, which will hold behind closed doors per the coronavirus prevention protocols, remain unchanged at 7:30pm Nigerian time.
The encounter with the Algerians will see the Eagles take to the field for the first time this year due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down football globally since March, and comes ahead of a quick-fire double 2021 AFCON qualifying series with Sierra Leone in November.
Both sides last met at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt with the North Africans ousting Nigeria in the semifinals with a last minute Riyad Mahrez freekick goal enroute to lifting the trophy against Senegal in the final.
Algeria come into Friday’s game on the back of an 18-match unbeaten run and they have not lost on the pitch since they were bumped by the odd goal in an AFCON 2019 qualifier away in Benin Republic in October 2018.
Two years earlier, they were trounced 3-1 by the Super Eagles in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Uyo. Both teams ended the return leg in Constantine 1-1, though the Eagles had already picked the only World Cup ticket from the group ahead of that final encounter.
Reports out of the Nigeria’s Hotel die Zeit an der Glan camp in Austria indicate the Super Eagles are in a confident mood ahead of the double header against North African opposition.
The series could also see recently cleared centre back Kevin Akpoguma earn his first caps for Nigeria after the Germany-born 25-year-old Hoffenheim player was cleared by FIFA to switch allegiances to his father’s country having previously represented Germany youth teams.
