Why Nigeria will no longer come up against the Albicelestes in pre-World Cup friendly?
The Super Eagles of Nigeria were set to play against Lionel Messi and his teammates, but the match has been called off.
The eagerly awaited friendly match between Nigeria and Argentina in the United States next month has been officially canceled, as confirmed by Pulse Sports.
Lionel Messi reunion cancelled
Earlier, Pulse Sports reported on the anticipated friendly match between the two prominent football nations, but the encounter has since been called off.
Argentina had initially announced a friendly clash against the three-time African champions earlier this month, and the match was scheduled to take place in China.
Yet, the clash was cast into uncertainty when China withdrew from hosting after Messi opted out of playing in Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly against Hong Kong XI.
Despite this setback, the match seemed likely to proceed as Argentina secured a venue in the United States.
The Albicelestes will face Costa Rica instead
The match has been canceled as Nigeria cited ‘logistical problems.’ The nature of these problems is yet to be disclosed, but it seems some Super Eagles players may have faced challenges traveling such a distance for the friendly clash.
In response, Argentina has secured a new replacement for the three-time African champions on March 26.
According to Fernando Palomo of ESPN, the current world champions will now face Costa Rica on the same date in the United States.
With this decision, Nigeria will need to search for a new opponent for the international window in March.
