Izuchukwu OkosiArgentina will head to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ with expectations at their highest in years mainly occasioned by the Copa America victory of 2021 in which they defeated eternal rivals Brazil.
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The 2021 Copa America win, secured on Brazilian soil at the Estadio Maracana, fired the dreams of a country that has but one objective on its mind: lifting a third World Cup Trophy. With Lionel Messi still leading the way in what will be his fifth and, quite possibly, last world finals appearance, there are many reasons why La Albiceleste are contenders for the most prized piece of silverware in the game.
Qualification turned out to be the most straightforward of tasks for Lionel Scaloni’s side, who continue to surprise. In winning 11 matches and drawing six, they collected 39 points to finish second only to Brazil and 11 points clear of third. Impressive as those statistics are, it was the manner in which those points were won and the continental title claimed last year that has the Argentinians dreaming once more of World Cup glory.
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Following the defeat to France at Russia 2018 and the departure of a breed that had come so close to making football history at Brazil 2014, the outlook looked gloomy for La Albiceleste. Not only were there doubts about the potential of the new generation of players that came into replace them, but several well-known coaches turned down the opportunity to take on such a high-pressure job.
Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentinian Football Association (AFA), eventually put his faith in the untested Lionel Scaloni, who had joined the coaching staff of previous incumbent Jorge Sampaoli in 2018. It has turned out to be an inspired choice. Four years on, Scaloni will take his team to Qatar with spirits high having put the disappointments of recent years behind them and overcome a psychological barrier in the process.
With a settled line-up, the eternal leadership of Messi, a new breed that can do justice to the jersey, and Scaloni’s tactical acumen, Argentina have their sights set on World Cup number three.
Scaloni’s first ever tenure as a head coach is proving to be an unforgettable one. When a clutch of big names turned the job down, he stepped up as a caretaker after guiding the U-20s to victory at L’Alcudia International Football Tournament in 2018.
Scaloni brought about the generational change that La Albiceleste needed and earned the confidence of players and coaching staff alike. Given a short-term contract that ran until the 2019 Copa America, he impressed his employers by guiding Argentina to the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by eventual champions Brazil. That campaign provided the foundation for what came next.
Confirmed in the post ahead of the qualifiers for Qatar 2022 and the 2020 Copa America, which was postponed to the following year on account of the pandemic, Scaloni put together a solid unit featuring a host of new faces committed to the national cause and to helping their idol Messi become a world champion.
In came Emiliano Martinez between the posts, while Cristian Romero was given the chance to cement his position in the centre of defence and Leandro Paredes was converted into a reliable central midfielder. Up front, Lautaro Martinez has shown his skills as a finisher and Angel Di Maria has been restored to the fold as a proven matchwinner. All have turned out to be inspired choices.
Keeping their feet firmly on the ground, Argentina took the Copa America from Brazil and won the Finalissima against European champions Italy, with their unfancied coach proving to be the solution to their long trophy drought. His objective now will be to use the same recipe to secure the World Cup.
2022 will be the Albiceleste star’s fifth world finals. At the age of 35, he remains as influential as ever. The No10 has adapted his game to the inevitable impact of the passage of time and will be Argentina’s ace card on their Qatari adventure.
Having finally won a trophy for his country, he now goes in search of the one piece of silverware missing from his long list of honours, with Scaloni’s new intake determined to help him on that quest.
Key player: Lionel Messi
Though not the athlete he was in his younger years and though no longer able to dominate games from start to finish, Messi still has decisive contributions to make in creating and finishing moves.
There is nothing left to say about the wizardry of his left foot, his sheer talent, his exquisite set-piece skills, his vision and reading of the game or his goalscoring ability, devilish dribbling and gift for exploiting any shortcomings the opposition may have. Messi has spent nearly two decades at the pinnacle of world football and will travel to Qatar intent on filling the one gap on his CV.
Argentina’s Group C fixtures
22 November
Argentina-Saudi Arabia (13:00 local time, Lusail Stadium)
26 November
Argentina-Mexico (22:00 local time, Lusail Stadium)
30 November
Poland-Argentina (22:00 local time, Stadium 974)
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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