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Former Nigeria international, Austin Okocha has faulted the international friendly rematch between the Super Eagles and their Argentine counterparts billed for Dhaka, Bangladesh on September 6.
Okocha, now a member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Committee, fears that the rematch could have an adverse effect on the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar, scheduled for the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo on the weekend of September 2 and 4.
The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder also feared that the Argentina game could distract the players ahead of the important game against Madagascar.
Okocha said, “I’ve always made my point known and I feel it doesn’t matter. It will be wrong to play Argentina in September. I’m of the opinion that we focus on the game against Madagascar, because our game against Argentina in Abuja cost us dearly against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.”
The Argentina warm-up game is billed to hold on September 6, about 72 hours after the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Antananarivo.
Okocha shoved aside the threat of the $1m clause embedded in the agreement by the match organisers in the event of Nigeria’s failure to honour the game.
The 37-year-old believes that the clause in the agreement for the match can be explored in favour of his nation’s team.
“There’s always a way outside a clause like this one, since it is just a friendly,” he said.
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