World Cup Soccer 2010: Group B clashes today and Maradona hits out
The seventh day of the football World Cup in South Africa is of huge importance for the four teams packed in group B of the mega-tournament.
In two mouth watering contest, the two time world champions Argentina take on Asian power house South Korea while the Super Eagles Nigeria face-off against Greece.
Argentinean coach Diego Maradona once again hogged the limelight as he laid into two legends of the game including Pele and Plattini. Both players had claimed that Maradona is not half as good as a coach as he was as a player.
Never known to mince words, Maradona roared back at the duo saying that he was out there to prove a point, declaring that his team was loaded with talent lead by Lionel Messi who is considered by many as the best football player in the world.
Maradona, who was unstoppable in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, when he led his team to an extra-ordinary World Cup win, claimed that he was in South Africa with a purpose to win the tournament. He further hit back at Pele and Platini by saying that they should concentrate on their own life and not make comments that are not worthy of their stature.
He added that Platini was French which was why he thinks that he is the best in the world. This was the reason why his comments did not matter to him.
Meanwhile Maradona’s team would be aiming to beat the South Koreans and seal a spot in the second round. The South Americans were clearly the better team yet they could only defeat Nigeria by a solitary goal in their opening encounter.
Once again, they would be relying heavily on Messi, yet they possess arguably the best striking force in the tournament in the shape of Higuain, Tevez and Diego Millito.
The South Koreans would have to come up with something special if they are to stop the rampaging Argentine forwards, and would be relying on Manchester United striker Park Ji Soung for scoring goals.
On the other hand the super eagles are keyed up for their match against Greece. Team coach Lars Lagerback is feeling confident and hopes his troops would deliver. “The focus and the attitude now through the trainings the day after have been really good, so I am really looking forward to it, even as it is a match, as I said, that we probably must win to go through to the second round. But, I see it as a positive challenge and, I think, when you talk to the players, they look upon it as the same,” said Lagerback.
Lagerback who hails from Sweden added that his players will concentrate on their attacking play and aim for goals, the main striking weapon in the Super Eagles squad Chinedu Obasi, felt that the Greek goal drought was not his concern. He said, “I don't know much about them, but I think they score goals”.
He further added, "I've seen a couple of games that they scored and we don't worry about the Greece team, we just have to focus on our game and do our homework and that's the most important thing for us and get the three points."
The Nigerians defeated Greece 2-0 in the 1994 edition of the tournament, and the Africans fancy the European teams recording all four wins against them in their world cup history.
Lagerback, whose contract ends whenever his team bows out of the competition added that he is not sure about his future yet. This is why he only wants to concentrate on the job at hand, as he has thoroughly enjoyed working with the Nigerian team.
“I always try to give 100 percent and it's been very easy to do that with these players also. I mean, they have been really professional, good attitude all through the preparation, so it's really easy to work with them. So, I'm getting fonder of them, both as human beings, but especially of course as professional footballers,” said Lagerback.
The Nigerians would once again have a sea of supporters, supporting them in the match today, as they represent a continent dreaming of an African triumph in the first World Cup it has hosted.
Tags: