Scaloni Praises Burkina Faso After Argentina's 7-0 Win
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni hailed Burkina Faso for turning up at all after a chaotic journey, as his side thrashed a young visiting team 7-0 in Buenos Aires without Lionel Messi.
Scaloni salutes the visitors
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni went out of his way to praise Burkina Faso after his side beat them 7-0 in an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Saturday night. "I would like to thank Burkina Faso and those who came for the effort they made. They honour football," Scaloni said after the match. "They could have stayed at home and the match would have been suspended. What they did is truly admirable."
A one-sided night without Messi
The World Cup runners-up were in control almost from the first whistle and did not have Lionel Messi, who is being kept fresh for his farewell game. Lautaro Martinez scored from the rebound after his penalty was saved, and Burkina Faso's Moumouni Diallo then turned the ball into his own net in the eighth minute. Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz and Julian Alvarez added to the lead before half-time, with Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone scoring after the break. Scaloni used the game to give a run-out to a number of young players, and said the squad's younger members "bring freshness" because they want to be there.
A troubled journey to Argentina
The scoreline was only part of the story. Burkina Faso's preparations were thrown into chaos when a charter flight from Casablanca, due to leave on 30 September, was cancelled after a technical fault was found on the aircraft. The operator also cancelled the contract, citing force majeure. Several senior players then decided not to travel, citing fatigue from the delays. Replacements, largely from the Under-23 squad, were called up from Burkina Faso and flown to Casablanca to join the group. The delegation finally reached Buenos Aires only about five hours before kick-off. Match organiser Jairo Pachon, a FIFA-licensed match agent, praised what he called an extraordinary effort by the Burkinabe football federation and government to make sure the fixture went ahead.
Messi's farewell is next
Argentina now turn their attention to Tuesday's friendly against Benin at the Monumental, where Messi is expected to play the final match of his 21-year international career. The 39-year-old captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 and is the country's all-time leading scorer with 125 goals in 207 appearances, as well as its most-capped player.
Photo: X-@Argentina