Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-24 04:05:26
Argentina Football Association has officially announced that the national team, led by the iconic Lionel Messi, will be facing the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on March 26. This exciting match will take place just four days after Argentina plays against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. This upcoming game will mark the seventh time that Messi will compete against Nigeria, with previous encounters including the U20 World Cup in 2005, the 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal match, friendly matches, and World Cup fixtures in 2010, 2014, and 2018. In addition, a friendly match was also held in Dhaka in September 2011.
Initially, these two matches were supposed to be held in China. However, due to the Chinese sporting authorities canceling friendly matches involving the World Cup champions, the location was changed. This decision came after an incident where Messi failed to participate in an Inter Miami match in Hong Kong, causing a backlash against him. Argentina was originally set to play Nigeria in Hangzhou before facing Cote d’Ivoire in Beijing.
The controversy stemmed from Messi being declared unfit to play in the Inter Miami friendly match in Hong Kong, where 40,000 fans were in attendance. Some spectators reportedly paid nearly HK$5,000 ($640) for a ticket to watch Messi in action, only to be disappointed by his absence. This led to anger among Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians, and fans alike. Just three days after missing the Hong Kong match, Messi came off the bench to play in a friendly in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe, Japan. In a video posted on Weibo, Messi explained that an inflamed adductor had prevented him from participating in the Hong Kong game.
Despite the initial setbacks, fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming clash between Argentina and Nigeria in Los Angeles. The rivalry between these two teams has always produced exciting matches, and with Messi leading the Argentine squad, expectations are high for an entertaining and competitive game. The Coliseum in Los Angeles will undoubtedly be buzzing with excitement as football enthusiasts gather to witness this highly-anticipated encounter.
