Nigeria Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama warned his team that they cannot afford to focus solely on Argentina’s star Lionel Messi on Wednesday. Nigeria will go head to head with Argentina in a Group F clash.
Messi has already produced two memorable moments at the FIFA World Cup, scoring a fine goal in his team’s 2-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Estadio do Maracana and curling in a long-range winner to see Argentina past Iran 1-0.
But Enyeama is unwilling to focus only on Messi, pointing out the all-round strength Alejandro Sabella’s men have in attack.
When the teams met at the 2010 World Cup, Enyeama starred with multiple saves as Nigeria were beaten 1-0 in Johannesburg.
“He (Messi) is one of the best players in the world and everybody knows it and he has really made a lot of progress from when we last played each other,” Enyeama said.
“Like I said earlier it might not be a game between me and him but a game between Nigeria and Argentina. Everyone is talking about Messi but there is Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, there’s a whole lot of players”.
“Messi is a genius and one of the greatest players football has produced but you can’t rule out other players.”
Nigeria only need a draw at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre to secure progression with Argentina to the last 16.
Finishing second would likely see Nigeria take on France in the last 16, but Coach Stephen Keshi says he fears no team.
“We have not come to the World Cup to run away or shy away from any team. Any team that comes against us, we have to play our football,” he says.
“If it so be that we might fall in the same group as France after this game so be it. We are here to enjoy what we know how to do and that is play football and that is what we will do.”
Keshi has been linked with the South Africa job after the World Cup but said they were just one of several countries interested.
– By
