GROUP B: ARGENTINA v NIGERIA:Lionel Messi is in South Africa seeking consecration as one of the greats. But can he achieve it under Diego Maradona?
ELLIS PARK, with its red brick coloured roof and low-rise design, has a retro look to it but it is here in Doornfontein that South Africa will catch their first glimpse of Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Whether by accident or design, Argentina’s story has become about Messi and his band of brothers in the pale blue and white stripes.
All questions, sooner or later, have been about Barcelona’s slouching genius and there may have been an admission that the rest of Argentina’s team are destined to play a support role when Gabriel Heinze protested, “But I think behind Lionel there’s a whole team”.
And it is a squad of decorous talent. As the days to the tournament ticked down, a hasty revisionism set in about Argentina’s chances.
Their bumbling qualifying campaign, defined by that humiliating 6-1 loss to Bolivia in La Paz and saved only by their first win in Uruguay in over 30 years suddenly didn’t seem very important any more.
Fact is, Argentina are here, they have a glittering squad and in the business of World Cup finals, they have pedigree. Diego Maradona’s eccentricities and his helpless need to wear his heart on his sleeve means the stocky, greying man from Buenos Aires will dominate many of the headlines of this World Cup.
But the most intriguing element of Argentina’s group campaign is contained within the relationship between Messi and his boss. It centres on how Maradona, infused with the ego of any aging sports legend, handles the possibility of his young charge emulating and even eclipsing the show of greatness he put on back in 1986. Maradona has certainly been magnanimous about the possibility.
“I would love to see that,” he said in response to a question asked by one Bruce Grobbelaar, now living a second life as a sports broadcaster.
(“Ah yes. You took many dives,” Maradona said cheerfully when the South African announced himself).
“I would appreciate it if he had the same impact on the World Cup as I had in 1986,” he announced.
Whether Maradona would, deep down, genuinely love to see that, is something that only he alone knows. But Maradona’s other significant observation yesterday seemed designed with today’s match meeting with Nigeria in mind.
Lobbying for a stricter adherence to the Fair Play slogan, Maradona cast his mind back to the twilight days of his own greatness and a match in the 1990 tournament against Cameroon, when he recalled being “kicked so hard they almost knocked my head off”.
That he described Nigeria as “rough and hard” made his implication clear.
The sight of Nigeria taking the field tomorrow is bound to evoke other painful memories for Maradona as well.
It was against Nigeria he played his last game for his country, in the USA tournament in 1994, when his team prevailed 2-1. In the days afterwards, he tested positive for substance abuse and was dismissed from the competition in disgrace and his life went slowly and then quickly into a tailspin.
That shadow has followed Maradona ever since. And this tournament is as much about his second coming, in the guise of sage with the luxurious whiting beard and unorthodox game plans, as it is about Messi’s turn to take ownership of a World Cup in the way that only the very greatest have before him.
It seems perverse that a player as extravagantly gifted as Messi should have to “prove” himself to his home nation but the accusation that he cares for club more than country has dogged the young man. And while his public utterances have been few, he seems to have accepted it is his time to lead.
In a way, both these teams are blessed to be there. Argentina cut it recklessly fine and Nigeria needed a 93rd-minute goal from Victor Obinna to keep their qualification hopes alive. But like Argentina, they are here.
Obinna joinged Yajubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins were on the score sheet in the recent boost of a friendly win against North Korea and they will enter this game without fear.
It could well be that Carlos Tevez or Gonzalo Higuain are the brightest turns for Argentina today but facing a resilient Nigerian team should provide the first real proof as to whether they have the cohesion to win the tournament or are a baggy collection of superstars struggling to respond to the commands of an aging virtuoso.
Nwankwo Kanu is facing the Argentines for the fourth time in his career and confidently predicted victory, while coach Lars Lagerback has played down the fuss about Messi, stating he would not be detailing a player to shadow him.
Argentina have always been a law unto themselves and under Maradona’s leftfield approach, that is truer than ever.
A dismal opening and a rancorous fallout; a row between Diego and an official; tears; sending-offs; anything is possible with Argentina.
But a win and some shimmering football is the likely outcome. The chances are that by tomorrow night, Argentina will have cast themselves in a new light.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
ARGENTINA: Romero, Demichelis, Samuel, Guitiérres, Mascherano, Heinze, Verón, Di Mariá, Higuaín, Messi, Tevez.
NIGERIA: Enyeama, Yobo, Adelaye, Taiwo, Kaita, Odiah, Odemwingie, Etuhu, Yakubu, Obinna, Obasi.
