The Argentines had by far the greater cardinal of affairs and Lionel Messi was at the centermost of all their moves. But the Barcelona striker was abandoned in advanced of goal, and Nigerian babysitter Vincent Enyema had an outstanding match.
Argentina started brightly, with Messi attractive alarming every time he got the ball. He appear Carlos Tevez in the aboriginal minute and Gonzalo Hugain two account afterwards but neither could absolutely acquisition the net.
JOHANNESBURG(AP) Even admitting Lionel Messi baffled Nigeria's defenders, Argentina still had to diaphoresis out Diego Maradona's aboriginal World Cup achievement as a coach.
Gabriel Heinze denticulate on a diving attack in the sixth minute, the alone one of seven shots on ambition Argentina adapted in its 1-0 win Saturday.
Heinze took advantage of anemic aegis to ability in his attack from 12 yards off Juan Sebastian Veron's bend kick. Afterwards that, it was annihilation but absent affairs for Albiceleste.
Just moments afterwards Messi himself came abutting aback he lofted a attempt appear the top bend from 19 yards out that was able-bodied chock-full by Enyema.
The ambition wasn’t continued in advancing though, and it was apostle Gabriel Heinze who got it. In the 6th minute, Heinze threw himself at a Juan Sebastian Veron bend to arch the brawl into the net. The ambition was controversial, however, as his arresting accomplice Walter Samuel captivated aback Obanni to acquiesce Heinze a chargeless header.
Heinze’s ambition calmed the bold a little but both teams were attractive to comedy advancing football. Messi brought out addition abundant save from Enyema with a crimper attempt in the 18th minute and Higuain should accept fabricated it two aback Tevez put him bright on ambition anon after. Already again, Enyema brought off a abundant block save to antithesis the Real Madrid striker.
But it wasn’t all Argentina. Argentina is awful accessible at the aback with Jonas Gutierrez and Heinze floundering and Martin Demichelis attractive out of his depth. Nigeria probed those weaknesses bottomward the larboard addition but couldn’t acquisition abundant assimilation to absolutely agitation babysitter Sergio Romero .
The additional bisected started analogously to the first, with Messi aloof a hair’s across abroad from affecting Veron’s low cantankerous into the net.
The bounce however, was absolutely slower in the additional aeon and there were beneath chances. Messi should accept done more good in the 64th minute aback he could abandoned blaze advanced afterwards four Argentine players bankrupt adjoin two defenders. And Enyema fabricated yet addition abundant save aback he blocked a Higuain attempt a minute later.
But Argentina was far from home free, and Taiwo rifled a attempt accomplished the column afterwards accepting in abaft Demichelis already again. In the 81st minute Di Maria and Messi exchanged passes abandoned for Enyema to baffle Messi from point bare ambit from Messi.
And a minute afterwards Nigeria absent conceivably their best adventitious of the bold aback acting Uche, abandoned on the amends spot, accursed a Martins canyon over the bar.
Nevertheless, although Argentina couldn’t about-face their a.ffairs into goals, drillmaster Diego Maradona will be adequate to accept appear through the opener with three points
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