Burruchaga Reveals Argentina’s Russia 2018 Ambition

By Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

Former Argentina star, Jorge Burruchaga, has revealed that the South American nation is aiming to win her third World Cup in Russia next year.

The former winger who scored Albiceleste’s winning goal in the 3-2 defeat of then West Germany at Mexico ’86, told Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, Argentina was gunning for the silverware again 31 years after.

In a chat with Scorenigeria.com yesterday, the Franco-German Nigerian gaffer revealed his discussions with Burruchaga at the last World Cup 2018 Draw ceremony in Moscow early this month.

“I met Jorge Burruchaga at the (World Cup) draw. He told me ‘we are coming to win the World Cup,’ revealed the Eagles coach who is also aiming to make history with the three-time African champions.

To show how serious the Argentines are about their ambition to win the cup in Russia, Rohr also hinted that the team’s handler Jorge Sampaoli and his crew have already secured a training base.

“They have chosen a magnificent base camp and will put everything in to make it (winning the cup) happen,” Rohr stressed.

To Nigerian football fans still celebrating the 4-2 defeat of the Albiceleste in an international friendly in Krasnodar, Russia, Rohr stressed that Argentina is not the same team without Messi.

 “We will not make the mistake of thinking that we already know them (Argentina).

“We beat them in friendly Krasnodar last month, but Argentina played without Lionel Messi. And Argentina without Messi, it’s not the same team.

“They let in four goals, they may not have changed much defensively, but offensively they can change everything.

“Argentina are still vice-champions of the world, and had not passed away from the coronation in 2014,” concludes the coach.

Like in the previous three World Cups, the two teams will clash again in the last Group D match after the matches against Croatia and Iceland.

Incidentally, Messi has featured five times in matches against Nigeria, but has only scored in two of such games.

The first was at the 2005 Under-20 FIFA World Cup in Holland when his two penalty- kick goals sealed a 2-1 victory against Nigeria in the final.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Messi scored twice in the 3-2 win over a turbo-charged Super Eagles in Porto Alegre.

He fired blanks in other games against Eagles. The first was the final match of the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing. He also followed up the no-show against Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup group game in South Africa and the friendly match in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2011.

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