NIGERIA vs ARGENTINA: Nigeria Is Always A Tough Opposition To Beat Says Diego Milito

Well, my country Argentina are still there. They did a good job in their first two games, they have two victories. We’re talking about a balanced World Cup and winning two out of two – it’s something you have to recognise. Bosnia, who they beat in the first game, have good players, Iran had an amazing game-plan and neither of the games were easy at all.

There are no games that you win before the start these days. Maybe going back a few years, like when in France 98 Argentina beat Jamaica 5-0, it was different. Today every coach needs to study their opponents, it doesn’t matter if it is Brazil or Iran.

I think that Argentina had very positive results and I have a lot of faith that Argentina can make it far because even if it’s true that the two games haven’t been played in a high level, they won and that’s key in a World Cup. You need to gain confidence little by little and I think the team will be improving game by game.


I think Alejandro Sabella is a coach that studies his opponents. He knows their good and bad points. And he has helped to form a team that kills you in the attacking half of the field. They have lots of options. We have a philosophy, a way of being and we don’t have to abandon that, we have to stick to what we know how to do better. But it’s very important to know what your opponent can do.

Nigeria is one of those teams that have improved a lot in the past years and for Argentina it has always been a tough match-up. In 2010, we just beat them 1-0 and it was the same in 2002. In 1994, Argentina had a great team but anyway it was a very close 2-1.

I’m expecting this game to be as hard as in the previous challenges. Nigeria have good and tough players, especially physically and it’s difficult to beat them in that area. I hope Argentina can win the game because they have the players to do it.