01/29/2024 8:11 p.m. Updated on 01/29/2024 9:02 p.m.
In a year with Copa América and Qualifiersthe National Team’s agenda already appears almost assembled. The AFA confirmed this Monday the rivals for the two March friendlies in China. On Monday the 18th the Scaloneta will face Nigeria at the Olympics Sports Center stadium in Hangzhou. On Tuesday the 26th, the second preparatory match will take place against Ivory Coast and the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.
The two next rivals of the National Team have something in common: they are fighting in the Africa Cup. Nigeria has just beaten Cameroon 2-0 in the round of 16 and will now play against Angola.
While what happened in the Ivory Coast is an unusual case. They are the host team of the competition, they suffered the worst win in their history and the worst win by a local team in the tournament in history (4-0 vs Equatorial Guinea, they finished in third place in their group and, thinking they were already eliminated, they fired their coach Jean-Louis Gasset. Unexpected results occurred and they managed to qualify for the round of 16 as the fourth best third in the group. They had to play against Senegal, current champion of the Africa Cup, and since they did not have a coach they asked France to lend them the coach of women’s football and they said no. An interim coach (Emerse Faé) took over, they beat Senegal on penalties and are in the quarterfinals
La Scaloneta, unlike its rivals, will arrive at these matches without activity in 2024. And these two meetings in China will be the only ones prior to the Copa Américahence the importance in preparing for the tournament that will be held in the United States.
Since the end of 2023, possible friendlies have been analyzed and managed for this March window. There was the possibility that Scaloneta would face top teams from the Old Continent. Time passed, and England, France, the Netherlands and other giants were closing commitments. Now the AFA did it. There are two teams that Argentina faced in World Cups: Nigeria on four occasions (1994, 2002, 2010 and 2014) and Ivory Coast (Germany 2006).
The AFA statement
The Argentine National Team already knows the rivals it will face in the friendly tour of China, to be played from March 18 to 26.
Firstly, Lionel Scaloni’s team will face Nigeria at the Olympics Sports Center stadium in the city of Hangzhou.
The second match will be against the Ivory Coast at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.
The agenda of the year of the National Team
The Copa América 2024 that will be played between June 20 and July 14, in the United States. The National Team will be part of Group A, along with Canada/Trinidad and Tobago (6/20, in Atlanta), Chile (6/25, in New York) and Peru (6/29, in Miami). With the latent possibility of qualifying, they could play a total of seven games in the continental competition, counting the 4th. final, semi-final and final or third place.
Once the Copa América is over, the South American Qualifiers will resume. Scaloni’s team remains 1st, with 15 points out of 18 played, two behind Uruguay, the runner-up. Throughout 2023, six dates will be played. In September, they will face Chile (5/9, home) and Colombia (10/9, away). In October, they will meet Venezuela (10/10, away) and Bolivia (15/10, home). And, in November, it will close with Paraguay (11/14, away) and Peru (11/19, home).
The party list
Friendly to be confirmed (March 2024)
Friendly to be confirmed (March 2024)
Friendly prior to the Copa América (June 2024)
Friendly prior to the Copa América (June 2024)
Copa América: Argentina vs. Canada/Trinidad and Tobago (6/20)
Copa América: Chile vs. Argentina (6/25)
Copa América: Argentina vs. Peru (6/29)
Copa América: 4th. at the end
South American Qualifiers: Argentina vs. Chile (5/9)
South American Qualifiers: Colombia vs. Argentina (10/9)
South American Qualifiers: Venezuela vs. Argentina (10/10)
South American Qualifiers: Argentina vs. Bolivia (10/15)
South American Qualifiers: Paraguay vs. Argentina (11/14)
South American Qualifiers: Argentina vs. Peru (11/19)