The Super Eagles will take on CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico in a friendly at the famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the State of California, the United States of America on Saturday, 3rd July 2021. The match, which kicks off at 7.30 pm LA time will be the sixth confrontation between the senior teams of both countries, four of which have ended in draws. The only win in the series has gone to Mexico, when they trumped a US Gold Cup encounter in Dallas (State of Texas) 2-1 on 24th June 1995. Jonathan Akpoborie scored Nigeria’s only goal.
Other confrontations include a 1-1 draw at the FIFA Intercontinental Tournament for the King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in Saudi Arabia on 13th January 1995 (Mexico prevailed 5-4 on penalties in the quarter-final match), and 0-0 draws in friendly matches in Houston and Atlanta the previous decade. A friendly game in Mexico also ended 2-2.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, simply known as the LA Coliseum, is a 77,500 –capacity facility that has hosted major international championships of all grades, including the 1996 Men’s Olympics Football Tournament (won by Nigeria) and CONCACAF Gold Cup matches. The COCACAF Gold Cup is that continent’s equivalent of the Africa Cup of Nations finals and determines the continental champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbeans.
Mexico is the most successful team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with eight titles and are the current Cup holders.
