Algeria v Nigeria: Africa Cup of Nations semi-final – live!

Riyad Mahrez is practising those far-post curlers:

The teams have been announced, and here they are:

Algeria: M’Bolhi; Zeffane, Mandi, Benlamri, Bensebaini; Feghouli, Guédioura, Bennacer; Mahrez, Bounedjah, Belaili.
Nigeria: Akpeyi; Awaziem, Troost Ekong, Omeruo, Collins; Ndidi, Etebo; Chukwueze, Iwobi, Musa; Ighalo.

Nigeria have made their way to the semi-finals without beating any team at this tournament by more than a single goal, and despite losing 2-0 to Madagascar in their final group game. Algeria have been more fluent, though they needed penalties to squeeze past Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals. “We have a team of warriors and we must seize our chance to win this tournament,” roars Riyad Mahrez, and the bookmakers at least are backing them to reach the final.

How things change. The teams last met in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, when Algeria came last in Group B while Nigeria won it at a canter. “They were fragile at the time,” says the Nigeria coach, Gernot Rohr. “We beat them 3-1 and there were lots of individual mistakes, they made it easy for us. In the return match [drawn 1-1] they were also fragile. Now they are solid, they have a good balance between attack and defence, they are still very physical and they have progressed a lot. It will be a very different match from those two years ago.” Indeed, Rohr insists that Algeria are strong favourites for this match, though that is a tag he appears to always give to his team’s opponents.

Algeria boast the defender Ramy Bensebaini, author of one of the most memorable moments of the tournament in the last round, when he grabbed Wilfried Zaha’s arm, smacked himself in the face with it, and then rolled around attempting to get his opponent sent off. The referee missed his efforts entirely. “It happens everywhere. Players try to cheat, to fall down and get fouls and the best way is to play smart,” says Nigeria’s Kenneth Omeruo.

Omeruo, incidentally, has now been at Chelsea for more than seven years without ever playing for them – he has racked up a half-century of international caps since signing – and has declared a desire to leave London (though given the number of loans he’s had he can’t have spent much time there) this summer.

Anyway, hello! Team news imminent. It’s been a big day of sport, but it’s not over yet!