What do you do when both sides in World Cup match have special spots in your heart?
I guess, you just sit and take solace from the belief: let the best side win!
Argentina and Messi are on a roll and as players of the Albiceleste have said several times, they want to make this World Cup special for Lionel Messi.
Obviously, this means they want to unite to give The Wizard another trophy.
In modern day football, this will be not only history but also a landmark moment.
France almost stole it away from Argentina in 2022, but the stars had written otherwise.
Although Cabo Verde has stunned everyone by moving to the round of 32, their brilliance was on full display in their first game against mighty Spain.
The Armada launched attack after attack, but the defence stood tall with Vozinha, the goalkeeper, making some terrific saves.
Cabo Verde should be a topic of analysis for all small nations which aspire to improve and secure a spot at the World Cup.
I bet, some Bangladeshi club official with sagacity will contact Cabo Verde players to come and play in the domestic league plus the regional club tournaments.
Die hard Argentine fans feel this game will not be a major hurdle while a few stress that complacency should never be allowed in knock out stage games.
Md Yeasin, an Argentine supporter, feels that this match will be won without too much effort.
However, he cautions that so far, the Argentine progress has been smooth since the opponents were not tough sides and, therefore, once they face an established team, the team may struggle to cope.
Others disagree, saying Argentia will swiftly adapt to the circumstances, no matter how hard they appear.
Among the Albiceleste fans there is already an entrenched belief that the team has the potential to retain the cup.
One veteran football follower made an interesting comment: there may be another Argentina France final.
Well, cannot disregard that either because we had something similar in 1986 and 1990 when the finalists on both occasions were Argentina and Germany.
Instead of building castles in the air, concentrate on overcoming Cabo Verde first, remarked Sumon, a dyed in the wool Brazil supporter.
Just for the record, this is the first time Argentina will be playing Cabo Verde. Since their defeat to Cameroon in 1990 at the group stage, they have won last seven encounters with African opponents.
By the way, here’s an interesting history.
Did you know about an Argentina match against Bangladesh?
Well, in 1983, at the Merdeka Cup tournament in Malaysia, Bangladesh had a match against an Argentine selection called Argentina XI, comprised of players taken from second division clubs.
In that match, Argentina scored five times but Bangladesh also put two in their net, the game ending 5-2.
The Argentina XI became the champions, beating an Algerian selection side.
Messi and company have eyes on the cup, Cape Verde want to shock the world!
David and Goliath indeed!
