Rio (Brazil): An international friendly between Brazil and Argentina scheduled to be played in Australia next month has been called off, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday.
CBF coordinator Juninho Paulista said the match, slated for the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 11, was canceled at the request of the Argentine Football Association.
“We were prepared, with all the necessary logistics for this game, because we understood that we had to fulfill this contract,” Juninho told a news conference.
The Argentine Football Association was not immediately available for comment.
On Monday, FIFA said the South American rivals must replay a 2022 World Cup qualifier that was abandoned in Sao Paulo last September because of alleged COVID-19 rule breaches by Argentina, reports Xinhua.
Juninho said the CBF is in talks to find another opponent during FIFA’s next international window. Brazil will also face South Korea in Seoul on June 2 and Japan in Tokyo four days later.
“Conversations are still at an early stage,” he said. “We’re likely to play against an African team and our hope is that the match will be in Europe.”
–IANS