Friendlies against Argentina in Buenos Aires, intended as a prestigious opportunity for Benin and Burkina Faso, quickly devolved into a logistical nightmare for the African teams. Players from both nations faced extensive travel delays, reportedly taking days to reach Buenos Aires, and were met with substandard accommodations lacking basic amenities like hot water. Training facilities were also deemed inadequate, raising concerns about player preparation. A member of the Benin delegation revealed that the African football associations received no financial benefit from the matches, despite potentially generating millions in revenue. Despite initial optimism expressed by the press in Cotonou and hopeful statements from players like Mohamed Tijani about meeting Lionel Messi, both teams suffered losses and endured deeply unsatisfactory conditions during their trip to Argentina. The Burkina Faso situation was particularly chaotic, culminating in the senior team refusing to travel after flight cancellations, ultimately forcing the nation to send its Under-23 squad as a replacement.