Plan to mess Messi: Argentina cancels Israel friendly

BY SHOLA OSHUNKEYE

The much advertised international friendly between Argentina and Israel has been put off by the South American country seeking its third World Cup glory in Russia.

Both Argentina and Israel were scheduled to meet on Saturday in a pre-World Cup international friendly at the Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem as part of Jorge Sampaoli’s team’s final preparation for the World Cup in Russia.

According to agency reports, the South Americans annulled the match following a statement by the President of the Palestinian Football Association, PFA, General Gabriel Rajoub, urging his countrymen to make bonfire of effigies and jerseys of Argentine and Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, if he dared featured in the match.

Curiously, it was the Palestinian Football Association that made the disclosure on Wednesday. But the Israeli Embassy in Argentina had earlier on Tuesday announced the “suspension” of the match.

The announcement elicited wild jubilation in Gaza as Palestinians rejoiced over the decision.

Israel, on its part, lampooned Argentina Football Federation for pandering to the Palestinian threat. Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, hit Twitter on Wednesday, saying: “It’s a shame that Argentina’s footballing nobility did not withstand the pressure from Israeli-hating inciters.”

Lieberman added that the primary objective of those who opposed the game was “to strike at our basic right to self-defence and to bring about the destruction of Israel.”

The Crest recalls that the Palestinian Football Association, PFA, warned Messi not to “be a tool for politicians and for political extortion”, and asked that the game be cancelled.

A jubilant PFA boss, Jibril Rajoub, sat by a giant poster of Messi with the inscription, “From Palestine thank you Messi”, on Wednesday, and told journalists that “What happened…is a red card from everybody to the Israelis.”

The Crest also recalls that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had made a desperate last ditch effort to save the game late Tuesday when he phoned the Argentine President, Mauricio Macri, pleading for his intervention. But Macri was unable to save the day; and the game.

Argentina is one of the most successful footballing nations in the world. Its national football teams in the world have won the World Cup twice, in 1978 and 1986 respectively; and were three times runners-up:1930, 1990 and 2014. Argentina lags behind only Brazil, Italy and Germany in number of appearances, having missed only four tournaments.

The FIFA World Cup began in 1930, when then FIFA president, Jules Rimet, decided to stage an international football tournament. The organisation invited only 13 countries for the inaugural edition.