Argentina, Brazil to play friendlies annually under agreement

South American soccer powerhouses Argentina and Brazil are set to play each other twice a year under joint plans proposed by the countries' respective governing bodies.

Argentina Football Association (AFA) head Julio Grondona held a meeting on Friday with his Brazilian counterpart Ricardo Teixeira, where they signed a commitment to play two friendly games a year.

According to the AFA website, the games would be played on a home and away basis, with one based in Rio de Janeiro and the other in Buenos Aires. There would also be an obligation for the squads to be composed of domestic players only.

For their historic rivals, Grondona said that "in a sporting sense Brazil, as the years have gone by, have shown they are the best and Argentina, with all its historical issues and difficulties, still follows a little below.

"The two countries should be permanently united within the football world, and the only place we can afford different methods of thinking is on the pitch itself."

Source: Xinhua