The Super Eagles of Nigeria will now face the world champions Argentina in a friendly match on March 26, after the original venue of China was cancelled.
The game will be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a historic stadium that has hosted two Olympic Games (1921 and 1984).
The friendly was supposed to take place in China, but it was called off due to a conflict between Argentina captain Lionel Messi and the Chinese authorities.
Messi reportedly refused to attend a promotional event for the Chinese Football Association, which angered the hosts and led to the cancellation of the friendlies.
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The Argentina Football Association (AFA) announced the new venue and date for the game on their website on Thursday.
The game will serve as a warm-up for the Super Eagles’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.
Nigeria will play South Africa and Benin Republic in their quest to qualify for the global tournament in Canada, Mexico and USA in matchdays three and four on June 3 and 10 respectively.
Nigeria and Argentina have a long history of rivalry, having met eight times in the past. The South Americans have won six times, while the Super Eagles have recorded two memorable victories. The most recent encounter was in the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage, where Argentina edged Nigeria 2-1 with a late goal from Marcos Rojo.
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