As Mick McCarthy headed for home yesterday, satisfied with a draw that gives the Republic every chance of progressing to the second round, FAI general secretary Brendan Menton was fighting what looks like being a losing battle to save Ireland's warm-up game against World Cup favourites Argentina.

The South Americans, it turns out, have another commitment in April, when it had been hoped that they would visit Dublin, and Menton admitted yesterday hopes of bringing Argentina here now rest on the association being able to persuade the Russians to put back their proposed visit to Ireland in March by a month.

"That's what it will come down to all right," says Menton who insists the FAI will honour their agreement with the Russians in the event that they are unable to change dates.

That will mean giving up on the lucrative Argentina (the Danes have already said they can't switch from their February date) and pursuing what the association's general secretary describes as a "couple of the other rather attractive offers we have had instead".

While severe doubt was cast over the Argentina game over the weekend, a visit by another of England's group rivals was all but confirmed with Nigeria expected to play in Lansdowne Road on Friday, May 17th. The Irish party will then head for Japan the following day.

The Nigerians will provide the Irish players with a flavour of what they might expect from Cameroon a couple of weeks later when the standard of opposition from the side who beat Nigeria on penalties in last year's final of the African Nations Championship should be fairly similar.

When they get there they are expected to base themselves at Izumo, in the southwest of the country, where the higher temperatures and greater humidity than Mick McCarthy's men are likely to experience during their games further north, will be used to help with the team's acclimatisation.

Menton and Ray Treacy will both travel to Japan from Korea early this morning in an attempt to sort out many of the details of Ireland's stay there and the hope is that a second base, in the Tokyo area, can be secured for use during the build up to the Republic's second and third group matches.

"It has not been decided whether we will have a game in Japan but I would imagine that Mick would like some sort of practice match," said Menton, who confirmed the Irish will be based in Japan for about two weeks before their opening game in Niigata.

McCarthy, meanwhile, welcomed a draw that placed his side in a group with Germany and Saudi Arabia as well as the Africans. He admitted he doesn't know too much about the Cameroon but pointed out that next year's African Nations Championship in Mali would provide an opportunity to see them in competitive action.

The group's other two sides, he said, he was already fairly familiar with. "I've seen tapes of the Saudis while I was preparing for the Iranian games and I know a good bit about the Germans. A lot of people will be encouraged by the 5-1 home defeat they suffered at the hands of England," he said, "but I think the spanking they gave to the Ukraine afterwards is a far better reflection of the quality available to Rudi Voeller."

He went on to say that he would almost certainly consult England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson during his preparations for the Germany game although his only conversation at the draw was a short and lighthearted one.

"There was some mention of doing a swap," he said in reference to England having been drawn in a group with Argentina, Nigeria and Sweden, "but I politely declined".

Overall, he confirmed, "I have to be happy with that. It could have been a lot worse. And the fact that we've been drawn in the more northern part of the country is a help too because, from what I hear, we can expect it to be a bit cooler up there.

"My aim," he said, "is the second round (where Ireland would meet a team from Spain's group in Korea), I believe we have the players to get through the first phase and then anything is possible."