Argentina vs Nigeria: Why Super Eagles clash with Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste has been finally canceled

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are currently placed 28th in the World and third in Africa following the latest FIFA ranking

The highly anticipated friendly clash between the senior national teams of Nigeria and Argentina has been finally canceled, Soccernet.ng reports.

The earlier fallout from Lionel Messi’s absence from an Inter Miami match in Hong Kong led to the cancellation of the upcoming fixture between Argentina and Nigeria in Hangzhou, China.

Meanwhile, an official report by the team’s page on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that the match will still hold but has been shifted to a new venue where the Super Eagles will play in the United States of America.

Next stop 🇺🇸#ArgentinaNT pic.twitter.com/8tO37x0pz8

— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) February 22, 2024

However, multiple sources from the Nigerian media suggest that the clash has been canceled again, and will finally not hold with the reasons being a logistical issue this time.

Soccernet.ng reached out to the organizers on why the contest has been finally canceled and will not hold again, and it is understood that the earlier announcement by the Argentine football federation was a result of the mistake of the promoters in the USA who announced it earlier.

However, it was difficult to get visas to the United States on such short notice as the clash with Nigeria was meant to hold on the 26th of March 2024.

As a result, the Nigeria Football Federation is looking for an alternative to the situation and looking for another team to play during the international break window.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.

Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.

With a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master’s Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.