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Attendance: 64,468
Nigeria national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 26, 2018 at 7pm UK
 
Argentina national football team

1-2

Moses (51' pen.)
FT(HT: 0-1)
Messi (14'), Rojo (86')

Jorge Sampaoli: 'Argentina bravery secured World Cup win over Nigeria'

Sampaoli hails Argentina bravery
© Reuters
Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli praises his "brave" players for their battling 2-1 win over Nigeria, which was enough for a place in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup.

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has claimed that his players' bravery was crucial in securing the 2-1 win over Nigeria which edged the Albiceleste into the knockout stages of the World Cup.

The two-time World Cup winners, who took just one point from their opening two games in Russia, needed victory against the Super Eagles to reach the last 16.

Lionel Messi had opened the scoring for Argentina in the first half and, even though Victor Moses equalised with a second-half penalty, Marcos Rojo volleyed home on 86 minutes to nudge the South Americans up to second place in Group D.

"My players achieved a victory which is very important for the future," Sampaoli, whose future has been under scrutiny in recent days, told reporters at full time. "It's a good opportunity.

"The players knew that they are excellent players and they wanted to show that. Today they won against an excellent opponent. We fought until the very last minute.

"We realised Nigeria had enough with a draw so we made many changes, trying to create opportunities. The players were brave and that courage made the second goal possible."

Argentina's reward for beating Nigeria is a last-16 tie against France in Kazan, which takes place on Saturday.

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Marcos Rojo in Argentina training on May 21, 2018
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Group A

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Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

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Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

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Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

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Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

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Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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