Captain of Algeria's Desert Foxes, Riyad Mahrez, insisted yesterday that the Super Eagles are no strangers to him and his teammates as both countries will battle for the semifinal ticket in Marrakech on Saturday.
The 34-year-old former Manchester City forward now earning petrodollars with Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli, will lead the Desert Foxes in attempt to once again stop Nigeria from getting to the final of the AFCON 2025.
It was Mahrez whose free-kick in the semifinal stopped Super Eagles from progressing to the final of the 2019 edition hosted by Egypt. The Foxes won the encounter 2-1.
Speaking to Elbotola shortly after Algeria fought a bruising battle to stop DR Congo in the Round of 16 and and set up a quarterfinal clash with Nigeria, Mahrez said: "Nigeria? We know them well, the match won't be easy."
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He also admitted that everyday was not Christmas for such goals.
"Another last-minute free kick? We'll see, anything is possible."
Mahrez stressed that the hard-fought win against DR Congo, was a deserved victory for Algeria.
"I think that overall, if the balance had to tip one way or the other, it would have been ours. We faced a good Congolese team, who played with cohesion and left few spaces, but we were solid.
Saturday's third quarter-final of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations is certainly the pick of the Last-8 clashes, as Nigeria's Super Eagles and the Desert Warriors of Algeria clash for the 23rd time at senior level, since their first encounter at the 2nd All-Africa Games in Lagos 55 years ago.
Games between both teams over the past five-and-half decades have been laced with thrills and frills, shocking scorelines, drama, end-game flips, stunning comebacks, awesome performances by star players, and a bit of infamy.
The encounter in Marrakech will be the 10th time that both countries will clash in African football's biggest championship, with Nigeria having won only three of the previous nine duels. Algeria have won four, and the other two have ended in stalemates.
One stalemate was the infamous clash of Bouake in 1984, when both teams were suspected to have 'reached an accord' to play a scoreless draw in order for both teams to qualify to the semi-finals, and get Cup holders Ghana eliminated.
Nigeria defeated Algeria to win their first AFCON trophy on home soil in 1980, and 10 years later in 1990, Algeria defeated Nigeria to win their first AFCON on home soil!
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Marrakech, Morocco's fourth largest city, is set to host a massive showdown that will create its own story as a chapter in the book of one of African football's greatest rivalries.
