Argentina will meet Nigeria and Ivory Coast in March

The Argentina national team, coached by Lionel Scaloni, will play Nigeria and Ivory Coast on the tour of China between 18 and 26 March, taking advantage of the FIFA holiday.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) said in a statement on Monday that the reigning world champions will play first against the Nigerians at the Olympics Sports Center stadium in Hangzhou. The second match, against Ivory Coast, will be played at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing. Both teams are currently playing in the Africa Cup of Nations, where both have qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The 2022 World Cup-winning side's tour of Qatar is similar to the one they undertook last June, and represents a return to the continent for the 'Albiceleste', who played in Beijing and Jakarta against Australia and Indonesia respectively.

The huge fan base that the 'Scaloneta' - and especially its captain Lionel Messi - has in the Asian giant, as well as a number of sponsorship deals, have led the world champions to travel to China.

The matches will be the prelude to this year's Copa America in the United States, where Argentina will try to defend the title won in 2021, the first of the Scaloni era, which continued with the Finalissima 2022 and the aforementioned third World Cup for Argentina.

 

January 29, 2024