The Argentina team will face Costa Rica in a friendly match on March 26 in Los Angeles, after the defection of Nigeria due to a visa problem, the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) announced on Tuesday.
Argentina, which replaced its March tour in China, canceled following a controversy surrounding Lionel Messi, with two friendly matches in the United States, was initially scheduled to face El Salvador and Nigeria.
But the AFA indicated that the Nigerian selection, finalist of the last African Cup of Nations, had had “an administrative visa problem” to enter the United States and would not be able to play the match scheduled for March 26 in Los Angeles. Angeles.
The Albiceleste will instead face Costa Rica, coached by Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro.
The first friendly, against El Salvador, will take place on March 22 in Philadelphia.
Argentine star Lionel Messi and his American club, Inter Miami, angered spectators when the Ballon d’Or was left on the bench in February during a friendly match against a local team in Hong Kong, a semi-Chinese territory. autonomous. Argentina had cited an injury.
China then gave up hosting two friendly matches for Argentina, one in Hangzhou against Nigeria and the other against Ivory Coast in Beijing. Two meetings replaced by two friendlies in the United States.