Nigeria face Lionel Messi’s already-qualified Argentina in Porto Alegre today with a first appearance in the round-of-16 since 1998 tantalizingly within the African champions’ grasp.
Tens of thousands of Messi fans are expected to make the trip up from Argentina to the southern port city for the closing Group F clash, where a draw would secure Nigeria the all-important runners-up spot after Peter Odemwingie’s goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cuiaba on Saturday ended the west Africans’ nine-match World Cup winless run.
Defeat to Argentina, who sit top with wins over Iran and Bosnia, could still see Stephen Keshi’s men prolong their stay in Brazil, if Iran fail to beat Bosnia in Salvador.
Photo: AFP
FIFA might even have to get out its straws for the drawing of lots should Iran win 1-0 and Nigeria lose by the same score.
Argentina approach the game with their noses put out of joint by media criticism of their performances so far, with only Messi’s goals against Bosnia and Iran saving their blushes.
“Obviously it hurts when you hear people saying that they don’t like you, when people say different things to us,” Real Madrid forward Angel di Maria said at the weekend.
Messi, who turned 27 yesterday, and his teammates have a significant incentive to notch up their third win and top the table as that would mean they would likely avoid Didier Deschamps’ impressive France in the round-of-16 and instead face the Group E runners-up, likely Ecuador or Switzerland.
The two-time former champions may have failed to set the World Cup alight in their opening forays, but Messi predicted that the Argentina pot is slowly coming to the boil.
“We are not showing what we can do, but with a run of games I think we will get there,” Messi said.
Messi’s priceless influence was noted yet again by coach Alejandro Sabella after his late coup de grace against Iran.
“All the players contributed to the victory, but of course we have a genius who is called Messi. Fortunately, he is Argentine — everyone would like to have Messi, but it is us who have him. Iran made life hard for us, but with Messi, everything is possible.”
Today’s rivals have met on three previous occasions at the World Cup, with Argentina prevailing each time, but Odemwingie says his team can cause Messi and company problems at the Estadio Beira-Rio.
Odemwingie recounted a chat with a Brazilian fan on the street who told him that Nigeria would face Brazil in the final.
“I told this guy: ‘Sure, why not? We’ve got brilliant players, we haven’t reached our full potential yet,’” Odemwingie said. “We have a resilient defense, a creative midfield and with our attack line we could bring problems to any defense in the world.”
After Nigeria’s much-maligned goalless draw with Iran the media knives were out back in Lagos, but Keshi said he had never doubted his team.
“I never thought that we wouldn’t make the round-of-16,” he said.
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