Argentine talisman, Lionel Messi, is strongly determined to hack down Super Eagles when both sides clash on Wednesday in the Group F final game of the ongoing 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil.
The Barcelona striker was unable to get his rhythm against Eagles when Argentina and Nigeria first met at the South Africa 2010 World Cup show with goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama being his major albatross, denying him from finding the back of the net even though the Albiceleste eventually won by a lone goal.
Messi believed that his side also needed the game as much as Eagles do, hence the need to be at the top of their game to finish first in the group.
Nigeria has slipped to Argentina on two occasions when both sides met at the World Cup Finals, losing 1 – 2 in 1994 USA and 0 -1 in South Africa.
Messi admitted that the toil of playing in the early afternoon heat in Belo Horizonte contributed to his side’s difficulty in breaking down a well-organised Iranian defence, but hope that the weather in Porto Alegre will be much friendly for him to do the damage to Nigeria.
“We will be all out for the maximum points and the issue of favouring anybody is out of it,” said the four time world best.
Having beaten Bosnia 1-0 in their second game, Nigeria mainly require just a point to reach the knock out stages for the first time in 16 years and as such need to be at their best to pull through.
