Argentina must overcome demons to beat Iceland

Croatia, Nigeria fight for life in Group of Death

SOCHI, Russia, June 14, (RTRS): Argentina start as hot favourites to beat Iceland in their opening World Cup Group D match on Saturday but the toughest opponent for the runners-up four years ago may be themselves rather than the tiny tournament debutants.

Champions in 1978 and 1986, Argentina are part of football’s elite and have in their ranks Lionel Messi, the five-times world player of the year.

But they only qualified for Russia thanks to a win in their final qualifier against Ecuador and scored 19 goals in 18 games, the lowest by any South American qualifier since the singlegroup format was adopted in the mid1990s.

Since then, their on the field woes have worsened - a slim win over nonqualifiers Italy in March was followed four days later by a 6-1 hammering by Spain - and been exacerbated by bad luck and poor planning.

Argentina lost their first-choice goalkeeper Sergio Romero to a knee injury and midfielder Manuel Lanzini withdrew after damaging ligaments nine days before the tournament.

They pulled themselves together to beat Haiti 4-0 but that did little to convince anxious fans.

Argentine preparations were dealt another blow when an ill-advised friendly against Israel in Jerusalem was cancelled due to political pressure.

In spite of all this, Argentina are still firm favourites in Moscow on Saturday to overcome the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Iceland were the surprise team at Euro 2016, drawing with winners Portugal in the group stage and defeating England in the last 16 on their way to quarter-final defeat by France.

But their form has dipped this year and they have failed to win any their last four matches, three of which they lost, to Mexico, Peru and Norway, by shipping three goals.

Key midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson has missed most of the last three months with a knee injury. He made substitute appearances in Iceland’s final two friendlies this month and his presence from the start would be a vital confidence booster.

Few people believe Iceland can win but they may take heart from recalling the last time Argentina expected to win the opening game of the tournament against a team who had never won a World Cup match.

The year was 1990 and Argentina’s opponents were Cameroon who won 1-0 and went on to reach the quarterfinals, a feat still unsurpassed by an African side.

Dark horse Croatia take on spirited Nigeria in a World Cup opener on Saturday that could leave one side fighting for their tournament lives in the Group of Death.

At every World Cup a group is stamped with the ominous ‘Death’ label and in Russia that designation has fallen on Group D.

Croatia and Nigeria, two teams who fully expect to reach the knockout round, are joined by Argentina, led by five-times world player of the year Lionel Messi, and surprise package Iceland, looking to match their march into the quarter-finals at Euro 2016.

Nigeria will try to put a run of indifferent form and controversy behind them when they step onto the pitch at the Kaliningrad Stadium.

The Super Eagles come into their tournament opener having failed to win in their last four international friendlies and dogged by scandal with coach Gernot Rohr accusing some reporters of unethical behaviour and coming up with lies in the build-up to the World Cup.

Nigeria are the lowest-ranked team in the group at 48 but have displayed the ability to punch above their weight as they did at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when they reached the round of 16.

“I love this group because we know how to rise to the occasion together,” said Rohr, on the Nigerian Football Federation website. “Nigeria will be ready for Croatia.”