Argentina's Marcos Rojo, left, scores his side second goal during the group D match between Argentina and Nigeria, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
The scheduled friendly match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Albiceleste of Argentina has been cancelled.
In January, The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) announced that the country’s men’s senior team will be playing Nigeria in March.
The reigning world champions were scheduled to play the Eagles at the Olympics Sports Center stadium in Hangzhou, China, as part of a tour between March 18 and 26.
However, in a statement on its website on Tuesday, AFA said the fixture has been moved to the US, and the Super Eagles will not be participating.
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The statement added that “an administrative problem with visas” ruled Nigeria out of the friendly match, and Costa Rica has been drafted as replacement.
“Due to an administrative problem with visas, the Nigerian National Team will not be able to play its match against the Argentine National Team, scheduled for the double date in March in the United States. That is why the Costa Rica National Team will replace the African team on the stipulated schedule,” the statement reads.
The Super Eagles finished second at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. Nigeria lost 2-1 to the hosts in the final.
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Consequently, the Eagles climbed to 28th in the latest FIFA rankings — the team’s highest since 2013.
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