The Myamy international tournament, in which Mez was unable to play due to injury, sparked buzz and outcry across the city, just as the official website of the Argentinean Football Association released its March schedule, announcing that the team would be traveling to China for two matches. After this fiasco, will fans still have the confidence to grab their tickets?
Argentina's visit to China is said to be from March 18 to 26, during which two warm-up matches will be played. The first is a trip to Hangzhou, against Nigeria, before moving to Beijing to face Côte d'Ivoire.
Back in June last year, Argentina played a warm-up match against Australia in Beijing, when captain Mez led his team to a 2-0 win after blitzing the ball in just two minutes of the opening match. That match was a huge success and the fans had a great time. Reports say that the Argentine team received a US$5 million (HK$39 million) appearance fee for that tournament, with a contract guaranteeing that Mays would play at least 45 minutes.
At the end of last year, an organizer invited the Maia Mi International team to visit China and promised that Meis would accompany the team. However, the tournament was eventually aborted due to the failure to apply for approval in time.
