…AND THE SUPER EAGLES GET A ‘MESSI’ MATCH

Obviously miffed by the 4-1 drubbing of its team at the National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday, June 1, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) has booked a rematch against the Super Eagles of Nigeria. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Eagles will trade tackles with the senior team of Argentina in another international friendly in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh on September 6.

“Every document that will make the match a reality has been signed and we are looking forward to a big game. The two teams will go to Bangladesh with their first teams and all the top stars,” stated Barrister Musa Amadu, NFF General Secretary. This second clash in three months between the two countries comes up three days after the Eagles’ very important African Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar in Antananarivo.

Unlike the June 1 friendly, both teams are expected to come with their full strength squads to Dhaka. That means Barcelona maestro and World Best Player, Lionel Messi and Manchester City goal supremo Carlos Tevez will be available for the FIFA-sanctioned game. The match against Nigeria comes four days after that against Venezuela which is scheduled for September 2 in Kolkata, India.

According to Kazi Salahuddin, president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the contract is a binding one which will ensure Messi comes. “Our $4 million contract with both sides says the Argentina team must include Messi. The sight of Messi playing on our soil will be the best thing to have happened to Bangladesh football in many years. It will prompt a lot of boys to play football," he noted. “The contract guarantees their participation,” said Bhaskar Goswani of the Celebrity Management Group, match organizers, about the friendlies designed to boost football on the that part of the Asian continent. For some Nigerian football fans, they certainly would have wished for the same contract agreement for the June 1 friendly, which is being probed by world football governing body FIFA over unusual betting patterns.