Neither a strong European rival nor in a place where logistics are favorable
.
The AFA confirmed this Monday that the
Argentine soccer team
will have
two opponents from Africa
in the March friendly window when it will return to China, after having sealed an agreement with a company from that country.
These are
Nigeria
and
Ivory Coast
, two old acquaintances of the Albiceleste, who will put them to the test in preparation for the defense of the
Copa América
title in the United States.
A couple of weeks ago, when Lionel Scaloni confirmed his continuity as coach in a meeting with the president of AFA, Claudio Chiqui Tapia, the information indicated that in addition to the host China, the second rival would be from Europe at the request of the Santa Fe coach and would leave between
Croatia
-third in Qatar 2022-,
Turkey
,
Czech Republic
or
Hungary
, against which
Lionel Messi
had a frustrated debut in 2005.
How good it was to see you, Gringo 🤝 !!!!!!#ScalonetaModoOn 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/qyOUyik8Jk
— Chiqui Tapia (@tapiachiqui) January 15, 2024
But everything changed in the last few days.
First it was the AFA that announced a formal agreement with the investment company SOUTHGILMORE LLC, subsidiary EpicQuest Education Group International, part of the Chinese executive group Zhongfu Sports Co., Ltd. In fact, the CEO of the Chinese company, Liu Wei, visited the Lionel Andrés Messi property in Ezeiza and held a meeting with Chiqui Tapia, to begin coordinating Argentina's return to Asia, where it had already been in June 2023 to face Australia in Beijing and Indonesia in Jakarta.
They beat both teams 2-0, but beyond football, it generated a revolution, to the point that the concentration overflowed into China.
In the hotels where the Argentine team stayed, guests went through the hallways "hunting" the players to take a photo.
This situation was not to the liking of Lionel Scaloni
.
In fact, it was one of the issues that the coach asked to review and that was part of the flash that exploded when the Argentine coach stated that he had to think about what he would do in the immediate future, in the press conference he gave after the victory against Brazil in Marcaná, for the South American Qualifiers, in November.
The Olympics Sports Center stadium in the city of Hangzhou where Argentina will play against Nigeria on its tour of China.
African rivals tend to be physically demanding and often even try to avoid them because of the strong leg they can use.
With
Nigeria
, 42nd in the FIFA ranking, led by the Argentine National Team, the one that will take place at the Olympic Sports Center stadium in the city of
Hangzhou
will be the tenth confrontation at a major level, with the particularity that
half were in World Cups and all ended with triumph for the Albiceleste
(2-1 in 1994, 1-0 in 2002, 1-0 in 2010, 3-2 in 2014 and 2-1 in 2018).
Argentina's other victory was a friendly in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 3-1 in 2011. The only draw in history came in the 1995 King Fahd Cup (0-0), while the two defeats came in friendlies: 1-4 in Abuja in 2011 and 2-4 in 2017 in Krasonar, Russia.
With
Ivory Coast
, 49th in the ranking, the match will be at the Los Trabajadores stadium in Beijing and there are only two precedents at the senior level with victories for the Albiceleste: on October 16, 1992, 4-0 in the King Fahd Cup , and in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, 2-1.
Furthermore, in China but in Shanghai, they also faced each other in the group stage of the 2008 Olympic Games, with Argentina winning.
Lionel Messi at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, during the friendly against Australia in June 2023. Photo: Pedro PARDO / AFP
The June friendlies, in the United States
They say that to win in a negotiation at some point you also have to give in, and if the trip to China is the possibility of having better preparation in the run-up to the Copa América, the central objective of 2024, perhaps there is even a balance in favor .
Because the Argentine National Team, with Lionel Messi, will visit two cities that will not host either the continental tournament or the 2026 World Cup:
between June 3 and 11, which is the FIFA window, it will appear at Soldier Field in Chicago and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland
.
In the 'Windy City', and according to the information published by the American site
The Athletic
, the rival would be an old known as
Ecuador
, whom they beat last September at the Monumental stadium thanks to a superb free kick executed by the captain rosarino.
For the second game, the opponent still needs to be coordinated but it would be between
Guatemala
- which did not qualify for the competition - and
Honduras
- which at that point will already know if it passed Costa Rica in the playoffs or will have to watch the Copa América on television.
Each Albiceleste reunion will be a test for everyone.
Just as Scaloni said, it was a time of reflection, a space to refocus.
That moment has arrived: it will start in China, in March;
It will continue in the United States in June and, hopefully, will end with a full celebration on July 14 at the Hard Rock in Miami, Lionel Messi's new promised land.