he Super Eagles succumbed to the African champions in Austria and the German tactician feels the game was a good test for his side
Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has taken the positives from their 1-0 defeat to Algeria in Friday’s friendly game.
Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ramy Bensebaini scored the only goal that separated the sides in the sixth minute, poking home his effort from close range.
The North African side held on to their first-half lead to see off the three-time African champions in Austria and extend their impressive form.
The defeat ended the West Africans’ five-game unbeaten run, having last lost against the Desert Foxes in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The Super Eagles were without some of their key players like Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, Rangers’ Joe Aribo, Galatasaray’s Oghenekaro Etebo and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, among others.
The German tactician used the opportunity to hand a debut to Kevin Akpoguma, Zaidu Sanusi, Samson Tijani and Frank Onyeka in the encounter.
Despite the defeat, Rohr is satisfied with the quality of the friendly and has now shifted his focus to their next game against Tunisia on Tuesday.
“This is a very good test for us. There are positives to pick from a tough game like this,” Rohr said.
“Now we have to recover well and start to plan for the next game on Tuesday against another tough team.”
The three-time African champions will hope to bounce back to winning ways against the Carthage Eagles, who defeated Sudan 3-0 on Friday.
Nigeria last met Tunisia in their third-place match at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where the Super Eagles won to finish third in the tournament.
The friendlies have been lined up as part of the Super Eagles preparation for the Afcon qualifying game against Sierra Leone in November.
The West Africans currently lead Group L with six points after victories over the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.
