Messi cancels birthday celebrations with Argentina staring into the abyss as they face dreaded Super Eagles

ARGENTINE captain Lionel Messi cancelled his 31st birthday celebrations yesterday and chose to train with his team mates in a sombre atmosphere as they prepare for what appears to be their last match in the ongoing World Cup against Nigeria tomorrow.

Born on June 24 1987, Messi has been looking forward to celebrating his 31st birthday in style yesterday, hoping that Argentina would have won its first two group games and already be in the second round. However, the national team, popularly known as Albiceleste is staring into the abyss and looks set to be the highest profile team to crash out of the tournament, hence muting the celebrations.

Tomorrow, Argentina will face Nigeria's rejuvenated Super Eagles in the crucial must-win game at the St Petersburg Stadium to decide who joins Croatia in the last 16 from group D.  While the Eagles are on the upward trajectory following a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Iceland in their last match, the Argentines are dejected and in disarray after losing their last match 0-3 to Croatia.

With there being talk of open mutiny in the Argentine camp and the players losing faith in coach Jorge Sampaoli, yesterday's training session was very sombre. Messi participated in the training session as he cancelled plans for a party, limiting any celebrations to receiving goodwill messages from team mates and Coach Sampaoli.

After receivinmg messages, Messi proceeded to cut a birthday cake with his team mates, forgoing any party of festivities. Throughout the event, the atmosphere remained sombre and sedate rather than bouyant and exuberant. 

This is in stark contrast to past birtjhdays where giant cut-outs of the soccer genius are traditionally put up with Happy Birthday written on them. In 2013 when Messi clocked 27 for instance, a cake, 170cm in length and 107cm in breadth, shaped like a soccer field, was cut by young fans decked up in the Argentine national team colours of sky blue and white.

At that event, Messi’s jersey number 10 was written at the back of the cake More than 600 people then gave their blood at a blood donation club as part of the festivities.

At the time, Uttam Saha, the secretary of Argentina Fans’ club, said: “This is an annual event. Earlier we used to celebrate Diego Maradona's birthday by holding the blood donation camp but now on Maradona’s birthday, we only cut a cake.”

Widely regarded as the best player in the world, Messi is yet to score or provide an assist at the tournament and has vowed not to retire until he wins the World Cup. Team mate Javier Mascherano, has claimed that Messi is frustrated and desperate, ahead of their final Group D clash against Nigeria as they are facing a group-stage after collecting just one point from their opening two games.

Arriving in Russia carrying a huge burden of expectation, Messi is yet to score or even provide an assist at the tournament and had a penalty saved during a 1-1 draw with Iceland. Mascherano said Argentina must beat the Super Eagles tomorrow to have any chance of reaching the last 16.

He added: “Leo is fine but as a collective, when things don’t go as we’d like, we all have our own frustrations. He’s human and he has his own frustrations but he’s desperate to turn the situation around."

Former general secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi has warned the Eagles to be wary of Argentina, as they will be like wounded lions. He urged the Eagles to deploy every technicality in the game because the Argentine team may be down, but not certainly a pushover.

Chief Ogunjobi said: “Talking about what to do in our next game against Argentina, that is the job of the coach to do. He must map out the strategy, after he must have watched the two matches played by Argentina, so it is now left for him to plot how we can run them down.

“However, I must warn that we must have to be very careful because Argentina is now like a wounded lion, we should not underrate them in any way because of the result of their first two games. As a leading football-playing nation that has not won any match in this championship, they would be all out to change that story.

“So, we must make sure we play with full concentration. They will not be a pushover but the way we played the second half against Iceland was superb and I hope our boys will approach the Argentine games with the same zeal.”