Image Credits: Imago Images
Alexis Mac Allister has been handed a significant boost ahead of Liverpool’s crucial run of fixtures, after Argentina’s much-anticipated friendly against Australia in Kochi was officially postponed due to FIFA approval delays and logistical constraints.
The cancellation, confirmed by event organizers and the Argentina Football Association, means the Liverpool midfielder will avoid the gruelling travel itinerary that would have taken him from Angola to India and back—a journey that would have tested his fitness and potentially impacted his availability for the Reds’ clash against Nottingham Forest.
The Argentina national team thus only played one game this international break, a 2-0 win over Angola.
The postponement was primarily driven by procedural complications, according to Reporter Broadcasting Company MD Anto Augustine, the event’s chief organizer.
“The matches in the FIFA window cannot happen without FIFA approval. The stadium’s clearance hasn’t come through yet,” Augustine explained. “Also, the distance between Angola and India exceeds the five-hour flight limit permitted by FIFA, which made it impossible for AFA to schedule both matches in the same window,” he told reporters in Kochi.
The logistical nightmare was further compounded by FIFA regulations governing player travel during international breaks – constraints that would have left Mac Allister exhausted before returning to club duty.
Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman expressed frustration over the setback:
“If we only wanted to bring Messi, we could have done that. But we wanted the entire team — the world champions — to come to Kerala,” Abdurahiman said.
“We met the FIFA Vice-President directly and worked hard for this. Unfortunately, the approvals were delayed by a few days.”
It means that Mac Allister gets rare time off this week instead of travelling to play a game in India.
Argentina has indicated the friendly will be rescheduled for March 2026, during the next available FIFA international window, a date that falls well outside the critical congestion period Liverpool currently faces.
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