Messi admits that Argentina just got lucky yesterday as Maradona is rushed to hospital after collapsing

ARGENTINE skipper Lionel Messi admits that his side just got lucky yesterday when they beat Nigeria's Super Eagles 2-1 yesterday with a winning goal four minutes from time to clinch a place in the second round of the World Cup.

In a dramatic match in Saint Petersburg last night, the two sides locked horns in a decider to determine who goes into the next round alongside Croatia. Nigeria needed just a point to qualify, whereas Argentina needed to win the game and with the scores tied at 1-1 with five minutes to go, the Eagles were on course for victory until Marcos Rojo scored a late winner.

Before the goal, Nigeria had the opportunity to put the game to bed but striker Odion Ighalo was particularly wasteful, squandering two golden chances. Rojo too handled the ball in his area but Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir waved away Nigeria's penalty appeals after checking the incident on a Video Assistant Referee (Var) replay.

Speaking after the match, Messi, said his team's victory was partly down to luck as Nigeria gave them a good fight during the course of the game. He pointed out that Argentina struggled to keep pace with Nigeria’s style of play but they kept fighting until they got the winning goal.

In his first good game of the tournament so far, Messi himself opened the scoring in the 14 minute with a lovely strike from the right, before Nigeria equalised in the 51st minute with a penalty from Victor Moses. Rojo then stabbed home a cross from the right and according to Messi, he deserved a moment like that after suffering a lot of criticism for their poor display in their last two games in the group against Iceland and Croatia.

Messi said: “It was a very big relief because we have been going through days complicated by the results of previous matches and many things that came out but luckily we achieved the goal. We knew we were going to do it, we were confident and thank God it happened.”

"Nigeria gave us a good fight as expected but we were fighting till Rojo got the goal he deserves because he has suffered a lot from our games. It’s a game where luck was with us."

Meanwhile, Diego Maradona has been taken to hospital after the match as he could barely walk after the final whistle and stewards were seen helping him away from his seat before collapsing to the ground. Maradona celebrated Rojo’s winning goal wildly and was caught on camera brandishing his middle finger at supporters but collapsed immediately after that and had to be transported to a local hospital after getting First Aid treatment from the Russian paramedics.

Sources in Argentina revealed his body could not take the tension of the encounter, which Nigeria nearly won had Ighalo converted two clear cut chances to put the game to bed. Eagles manager Gernot Rohr admitted that he made a blunder in playing Kelechi Iheanacho, adding that the decision to start the Leicester City forward was a gamble which did not pay off as he was not fully fit.

Mr Rohr added: "We had the problem of having one day less than Argentina and perhaps, at the end of the match, that was dangerous. Everybody did well but the goal was coming and when I see what happened in the first half, perhaps I wouldn’t start with the same team because Iheanacho wasn’t fit.”

Speaking on his decision to start Bryan Idowu ahead of Tyronne Ebuehi, who did very well upon his introduction for Idowu in the 2-0 win over Iceland, Mr Rohr said it was because Idowu defends better than Ebuehi who is still learning the act of defending. He added that Idowu was very solid in the team and is much better defensively, doing very well against Messi.

Ighalo meanwhile, has held his hand up and accepted the blame for Nigeria’s inability to qualify for the second round acknowledging that he missed two clear chances. However, he insisted that the Eagles should have been awarded a second spot kick after Rojo handled in the area.

"Without the help of Var that would have been understood but since we have the technology to remove such errors, we should have gotten another penalty. It’s a pity the referee thought otherwise.

” On my part I should have done better with the chances that came my way but that is football. I just told the journalist out there that I accept total responsibility for our failure to qualify, I’m very sorry," Ighalo said.