Abuja, Nigeria – (African Boulevard News) – Former Argentina defender Marcos Rojo has spoken out about his crucial goal against Nigeria’s Super Eagles during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, revealing that it saved the team from “humiliation”.
Rojo’s goal in the 86th minute helped Argentina secure a 2-1 win in Group D, and progress to the round of 16. Speaking about the game, Rojo said, “We were all aware of the situation. We knew that if we didn’t win that game, we were going home.”
In an interview with Soccernet.ng, Rojo said, “We knew that we had to win, and we were playing against a very strong Nigerian team. They were very fast and good on the counter-attack. We had to be very careful.”
Rojo revealed that the pressure was so intense that some of the players were afraid for their lives. “It was a very difficult game,” he said. “We were playing in Russia, where there were a lot of Argentine fans. But there were also a lot of Nigerian fans, and they were very passionate. We knew that if we lost that game, they’d have killed us.”
Rojo’s goal was a moment of relief for the struggling Argentine team. “When the ball went in, it was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders,” he said. “We knew that we had done enough to get through to the next round.”
The win secured a knockout round tie against France, which Argentina narrowly lost 4-3. However, Rojo remains proud of his team’s efforts. “We fought until the end,” he said. “We gave it everything we had.”
Rojo’s comments highlight the intense pressure that comes with playing at the World Cup, where the hopes of an entire country can rest on the performances of 11 players.
As the World Cup returns this summer, teams will be hoping to avoid the same fate as Argentina in 2018. With Rojo’s words still ringing in their ears, they’ll be aware that a single goal can make all the difference between success and failure.
