•Says they are bench warmers
BY MONICA IHEAKAM
Tough talking Algerian coach, Rabah Madjer yesterday dismissed Super Eagles players as a bunch of Euro based bench warmers who the Foxes can easily handle in friday’s Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier in Constantine
While Madjer has little or no respect for the World Cup bound Nigerian national team, the Franco German coach of Eagles, Gernot Rohr said Algeria is blessed with some of Africa’s best legs.
Speaking to the press in Algeria, Madjer who was not in charge of the team when they suffered a 3-1 loss to Nigeria in the reverse tie played in Uyo said the Nigerian team has many players who don’t get to play for their European clubs.
“I have studied the Nigerian team, apart from Iwobi, every other player is mostly a substitute for their team in Europe , but that doesn’t mean they will not be at the level to face us,” Madjer said.
“The game against Nigeria is not a friendly match for me, to me it’s the first game of the qualifiers for the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon”.
Meanwhile, Gernot Rohr has described Leicester City duo of Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani as some of the best players in Africa, adding that their presence in the Desert Foxes squad will make an appreciable impact. “I know this team, they have one of the best African players… Mahrez, Slimani is the other one. It will be interesting to play in Algeria in these conditions,’’ Rohr said to the Nigeria Football Federation.
“They have a new coach (Raber Madjer) and they are playing at home so they will be very aggressive.”