Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli came
under fierce attack after La Albiceleste’s stunning 4-2 defeat by
Nigeria in their friendly match in Krasnodar, Russia, on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles recovered from 2-0
down to beat the Lionel Messi-less South American powerhouse after they
ran riot in the second half at the Krasnodar Stadium.
And Argentina fans, whose team had
beaten Nigeria four times in a competitive affair and once in a
friendly encounter, had expected a whitewash.
But goals from Kelechi Iheanacho, Brian
Idowu and Alex Iwobi’s brace downplayed Ever Banega’s 28th-minute strike
and Sergio Aguero’s 36th international goal on the night.
Sampaoli, who guided Chile to the 2015
Copa America title, was criticised by fans of the two-time world
champions after his team squandered a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The majority of the former Sevilla
manager’s critics on social media questioned his tactical nous as they
expressed their apprehension whether his team would perform at next
year’s World Cup.
“Sampaoli has less football idea than my old one,” Valeentin Moran wrote on Twitter.
“Sampaoli does not have to direct the national team anymore,” Pablo Almeiraa wrote.
But Sampaoli defended his team, saying they did their best to win the encounter.
He told LA NACION, “The team has the ability and individuals to overcome these incidents, but we have to improve.
“As for the positive ones, there is one
game, the mastery of some situations that without being executed were
very close to the idea that we propose in training.”
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