Algeria plan to move World Cup qualifier against Eagles to freezing coastal city of Constantine

NIGERIA'S Super Eagles face a daunting World Cup run-in later on this year as Algeria are considering taking their November home qualifier to the north-eastern city of Constantine where temperatures could be as low as minus four degrees.

In what has been tagged the group of death, Nigeria's World Cup qualification group includes Cameroon, Zambia and Algeria. So far, Nigeria is sitting on top of the group with six points from two games and now faces a double header against African champions Cameroon, after which the Eagles will face Algeria away and Zambia at home.

Already, Algeria's football authorities have announced their intention to move their 2018 World Cup qualifying home game against Zambia on September 5 to the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine. Nigeria's last group match coming up on November 8, could as well be taken to Constantine where the temperature could be as low as between -3.9 degrees Celsius.

Algeria and Zambia will meet in a double header in Group B in the next two rounds of 2018 World Cup qualifying matches, with the teams first clash in Lusaka at the National Heroes Stadium on September 2. Three days later they will meet in the return game in Constantine, rather than the expected venue of Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida.

Kheireddine Zetchi of the Algerian FA, said: “We will play the first leg against Zambia on September 2 in Lusaka and three days later we will face same team here in Algeria. We plan to organise the meeting in Constantine, which is a decision we made after a first delegation visited the city and I can even tell you that the report was very positive.”

“Even the players are not against the idea of playing the encounter of Zambia in Constantine. Indeed, they want to discover new cities and perform in towns in the interior of the country, which is why we opted for the Constantine Stadium.”

He added that 32,000 tickets will be sold for the match against Zambia at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium. Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria, which during Roman times was called Cirta but was later renamed Constantina in honour of Emperor Constantine the Great.