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Argentina begin life after Messi with Bolivia friendly / Photo: © AFP/File
Argentina begin life after Messi with Bolivia friendly
Argentina's post-Lionel Messi era will begin with a friendly against Bolivia on September 30, followed by matches against Burkina Faso and Benin, the Argentine football association said on Tuesday.
The game against Bolivia will take place in Cordoba, while River Plate's Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires will stage the two fixtures against the African sides on October 3 and 6.
Last month FIFA ordered Argentina to play their next home match with capacity reduced to 50 percent for breaches of its disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for making demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.
After Argentina beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup semi-final in July, several players held up a banner saying: "The Falklands are Argentine".
The friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, while defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games and Thiago Almada for one.
Messi in August ended a two-decade international career that included winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.
F. Schulze--BTZ
