Argentina friendlies no fairy tale for African footballers

Friendlies in Buenos Aires between Argentina and African sides Benin and Burkina Faso turned messy, with multiple complaints about logistics and revenue sharing. Benin’s delegation told AFP the trip took “days” instead of hours, the hotel lacked hot water, training facilities were “not up to scratch,” and African federations were not receiving profits from matches that could generate millions in revenue and TV rights. Benin lost 3-0. Burkina Faso’s fixture was derailed when the Stallions were stranded in Morocco after a cancelled connecting flight; when they finally found a last-minute plane, the senior squad refused to board and Burkina sent an under-23 team, losing 7-0. Officials warned of consequences at the next November window.