The friendly game between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Albiceleste of Argentina has been cancelled due to visa issues.
This match was planned for March of this year in Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in China, VisaGuide.World reports.
However, the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) announced the game was cancelled because of some visa issues. Instead, the Costa Rica team will replace the African Team, and the game will take place in the United States.
Due to an administrative problem with visas, the Nigerian National Team will not be able to play its match against the Argentine National Team, scheduled for the double date in March in the United States. That is why the Costa Rica National Team will replace the African team on the stipulated schedule.
Due to this issue, AFA further unveiled the games will be scheduled as follows:
- Argentina vs El Salvador (March 22, at Lincoln Financial Field stadium)
- Argentina vs Costa Rica (March 26, at Los Angeles Coliseum)
The Super Eagles secured the second position at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire, where Nigeria lost a 2-1 defeat to the hosts in the final match, as reported by The Cable newspaper.
Therefore, the Eagles team ascended to 28th place in the latest FIFA rankings, marking their highest position since 2013.
Nigerian Citizens Can Travel Visa-Free To Only 27 Countries Worldwide
As of February 2024, Nigerian passport holders are able to travel without visas in 27 countries around the world, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index.
However, they must ensure that their passport is valid for at least six months after the departure date and purchase travel health insurance as required by the intended destination country.
On the other hand, they must obtain a visa to travel to 170 other countries. 12 countries issue e-visa, while 17 others issue visas on arrival for citizens holding a Nigerian passport.
Over 41% of Schengen Visa Applications Filed by Nigerians Were Rejected in 2022
In 2022, Nigerian citizens had some of the highest visa rejection rates from Schengen countries. Of 86,815 visa applications, 53.4 percent were approved, whereas the remaining 39,189 were rejected.
France, Spain and Italy received the majority of visa applications submitted by Nigerians.
Meanwhile, countries with the highest rejection rates for Nigerian applicants were Hungary (66.1 percent), Spain (65.6 percent), Belgium (64.7 percent) and Denmark (63.8 percent).