Pablo Zabaleta who plays for Manchester City and Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid are the highest profile players in the Argentina’s team to play Nigeria on June 1, 2011.
With Lionel Messi and Javier MAscherano missing out because of the UEFA Champions League final three days earlier, Nigerian football fans would have to make do with a second string Argentine side.
Other big players notably absent are Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuan, Athletico’s Sergio Aguero, Manchester city’s Carlos Tevez and the Milito brothers (Diego and Gabriel).
The Argentine FA announced the team on Monday and that team also includes the likes of Gabbarini Adrian of Independiente (Argentina), Angeleri Marcos (Sunderland, England), Garay Ezequiel (Real Madrid, Spain), Otamendi Nicolas (Porto FC, Portugal), Fazio Federico (Sevilla, Spain) and Belluschi Fernando of Porto, Portugal.
Also in the list are Cabral Alejandro (Legia Varsovia, Poland), Formica Mauro (Blackburn Rovers, England), Insua Emiliano (Galatasaray, Turkey), Cristaldo Jonathan (Metalist Kharkiv, Ukraine) and Gaitan Nicolas of Benfica, Portugal.
Piatti Pablo, who plays for Spanish side, Almeria, Ruben Marco of Villarreal, Jara Franco of Benfica, Portugal, and Perotti Diego of Sevilla, are also in the team. To make up the squad are Boselli Mauro of Genoa, Italy, Bertolo Nicolas of Real Zaragoza, Spain, Tino Costa of Valencia and Matteo Musacchio of Villarreal.
