Super Eagles match called off after Messi backlash

The highly anticipated friendly match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Argentina has been officially called off.

The cancellation follows a storm of controversy surrounding the absence of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi from a recent exhibition match in Hong Kong.

Messi, who currently plies his trade with Inter Miami, was expected to be the star attraction for a match against a Hong Kong XI. However, to the dismay of fans worldwide, the Argentine captain did not take to the field, sparking widespread disappointment and frustration.

This disappointment escalated further when Messi, despite reportedly being sidelined due to injury for the Hong Kong fixture, appeared in a game in Japan just days later. The apparent inconsistency in his participation fueled outrage among fans and pundits alike.

In an attempt to address the fans’ dissatisfaction, organizers of the Hong Kong event offered a partial refund of 50% to ticket holders.

Nevertheless, the fallout from the incident has rippled beyond Hong Kong’s shores, ultimately influencing the decision to cancel the upcoming friendly between Argentina and the Super Eagles, slated to be held in Hangzhou, China, in March.

The announcement of the cancellation came from Hangzhou authorities, who cited the current circumstances as the primary reason for the decision.

In their official statement, they stated,

“As a commercial event, a company and the Argentinian soccer team negotiated that the team would play a friendly match in March this year in the city of Hangzhou.

“In view of the current well-known reasons, according to the competent authorities, conditions to hold the friendly match are not mature, therefore (we) have decided to cancel it.”