Nigeria will continue their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June where they will meet AFCON 2023 semi-finalists, South Africa after they drew their first two games.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will square up against Argentina’s La Albiceleste during the March International break in the United States of America, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria, currently placed 28th in the latest FIFA national team rankings will face a familiar foe on foreign turf as they get into footballing action for the first time since their AFCON 2023 final loss to Ivory Coast.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina stunned the World when they emerged winners of the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar. They currently occupy the number one position in FIFA’s latest national team rankings.
The clash between both sides was confirmed when the official account of the Argentine Football Association posted the details of the game on their social media handle.
Next stop
#ArgentinaNT pic.twitter.com/8tO37x0pz8
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) February 22, 2024
The game was previously scheduled to be played in China, but the fans weren’t too pleased with the decision after Lionel Messi’s recent escapades with Inter Miami.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was meant to feature in a game played on the club’s tour in China but didn’t due to an injury.
The 36-year-old featured in another game a few days later, causing uproar within his Chinese fanbase, before the game was eventually moved to the United States of America, to be played on the 26th of March.
Nigeria and Argentina are no strangers to each other, with both sides drawn into the same FIFA World Cup group between 2010 and 2018.
In their meetings on the World’s biggest stage, the Super Eagles played a goalless draw in 2010, with La Albiceleste emerging victorious in 2014 and 2018.