Nigeria, Argentina Friendly Confirmed for March 26 in Los Angeles 

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

The much-awaited international friendly between Argentina and  Nigeria’s Super Eagles has been confirmed to hold on March 26, 2024 at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, USA.

It will be the first international clash between Victor Osimhen and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

While Nigeria will use the Grade A friendly to prepare ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic, the South Americans will use the game to hone their skills ahead the defence of  their 2021 Copa America title which they won against Brazil.

Messi will have the League Cup, the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup as well as the Paris Olympic Games men’s football schedules for the Inter Miami star in the summer.

Although Super Eagles defeated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in the semi final of the recently concluded AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire, the leadership of the Nigerian federation appears not taking chances after Ghana’s Black Stars derailed the three-time continental champions from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

According to an Argentine Football Association (AFA) press statement released yesterday, the Albiceleste will  first  take on El Salvador at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on March 22 before the clash with the Super Eagles.

“First, Lionel Scaloni’s team will face El Salvador at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (March 22), while the second match will be against Nigeria at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles (March 26),” the AFA statement published by Spanish Marca hinted.

This tour of USA appears much convenient for Messi who created a scene not featuring in Inter Miami’s preseason games in Hong Kong.

This new tour will be much more accessible for  Messi’s match load since he will not need to travel so many miles to play these matches, after the MLS league tournament started on Wednesday, February 21 and the competition runs until December.

Argentina, the defending world and South American champion, will open the Copa America defence against Canada or Trinidad and Tobago on June 20 at Atlanta, then play Chile five days later at East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Peru on June 29 at Miami Gardens, Florida.