Algeria will face Nigeria on Saturday, November 12 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

ALSO READ: Algeria held by Cameroon

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“I said to them I won’t talk to them until next month because they are my enemies now,” the midfielder told the Watford official website.

“Of course it’s a joke, but it will be a pleasure to play against them. It’s special to meet teammates who you are used to training with every day and to play against them in one game, so it’s quite good and strange at the same time.

“It’s going to be an important game for us. I’m sure we’ll have a good welcome from the Nigerian people and from Ighalo and Isaac, but when we go into the pitch they’re not going to be my teammates or my friends anymore.

“It’s going to be a tough game and I can’t wait for it.”

Algeria drew their match-day fixture at home to Cameroon and the 30-year-old is disappointed with the result.

“We wanted to win this game and we expected to win, so it was a bit of a disappointment to draw, but we faced a good team and especially a good goalkeeper,” he said.

“That was our first game of World Cup qualification so we still have five games to go and we have a really good team. I have a big trust in my teammates and in the team.

“It’s been a good moment for Algeria recently. We performed well at the last World Cup and we’ve been at the last two World Cups, so we want to continue and go to the next one.

“People are saying we are maybe the best team in Africa recently, so it’s good for us, but we want to keep that and improve.

“We have big players in our team – people like and are playing for the team that won the Premier League last year – so hopefully we will keep improving and qualify.”

Nigeria lead the group with three points, Algeria and Cameroon joint-second with a point each while Zambia are bottom with zero points.

The winner of the group automatically qualifies for the 2018 FIFA World Cup holding in Russia.