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Brazil and Argentina players talk as the game is interrupted by health authorities.Credit:AP

That decision was met with a fierce backlash from the AFA,which announced it would launch an appeal with the Court of Arbitration of Sport to challenge FIFA’s directive to replay the World Cup qualifierthat was postponed on September 5,2021,due to a dispute over COVID restrictions.

In controversial scenes,Brazilian government health officials walked on to the pitch in Sao Paulo after kick-off with the score at 0-0 and demanded that the match be called off because four Argentinian players had arrived from England and were allegedly in breach of Brazil’s COVID-19 entry requirements.

Both teams secured their passage to the World Cup in Qatar before the abandoned qualifier was rescheduled and set to be held at the MCG on June 11. Brazil have topped the group and Argentina are assured of second spot in the standings. The match would be the first competitive continental fixture between the two giants held outside the Americas.

The Victorian government has contributed to bringing El Superclasico to Melbourne,but Argentina’s planned appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport has confused the situation.

“We believe the decision to be unfair and we believe that Argentina did not cause the game to be cancelled,” Andres Urich,an advisor to the AFA,said on Argentine television. “We think we are in the right and we believe we have to take it to the court.”

Victorian government sources informed the Herald andThe Age the match would go ahead regardless of its purpose and it was a matter of FIFA to decide whether it could constitute the rescheduled qualifier. Comment was sought from promoters TEG Live on Saturday.

After the original match last September was cancelled by Brazilian authorities,officials said the Argentines had breached rules stating travellers who had been in the UK,South Africa or India during the previous two weeks were forbidden from entering Brazil unless they were citizens or had permanent residency.

Brazilian officials claim the players misled border officials by declaring they had not been in a red-list country during the 14 days before the game. Argentine officials said they believed the same protocols used in the Copa America in Brazil in June last year were in place for the World Cup qualifiers to allow teams to travel across the continent. The South American Football Confederation confirmed that interpretation.

FIFA,however,suspended the four players for two matches and said they wanted the game played. Argentina appealed against that decision two months ago but said it had not received a resolution and called Friday’s move hasty.

“It’s hasty because it does not answer the first appeal and that is confirmed there is another instance,that is the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the AFA will appeal,” Urich said.

Having already agreed to play their home qualifier against Argentina in Melbourne,Brazil have also secured friendlies in the Asia-Pacific region against Japan and South Korea in the first week of June.

South American champions Argentina are locked in to play a friendly against European champions Italy in London on June 1 at Wembley.

With Reuters

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