Argentina’s national football coach Lionel Scaloni has declared his team will approach Friday’s friendly against Angola with a competitive mindset, aiming for victory and player evaluation despite the match’s non-competitive status.
Scaloni, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, stressed the importance of playing “seriously, with toughness, and giving your maximum” to assess players for future tournaments. He made these remarks Thursday during a press conference in Luanda.
“It’s called a friendly match, but then you have to play seriously… because the players need to be evaluated, due to the World Cup,” Scaloni said. “We will play to win.”
He acknowledged the challenge, noting Angola’s “very fast, tall players, some evolving in major European leagues,” and the significant advantage of playing at home before their fans.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is expected to play, though Scaloni remained vague about his exact minutes on the field. “I don’t know how many minutes Messi will play, but it’s certain he will play. Afterwards, we will see his evolution on the field,” the coach stated.
Messi’s presence created a stir among local media, who had requested the Inter Miami forward attend the press conference. Scaloni was the only representative from the Argentine team to speak.
The 88-member Argentine delegation arrived in Angola on Thursday around 9:00 PM Luanda time, traveling from Spain.
The match is scheduled for Friday at 5:00 PM Luanda time at Estádio 11 de Novembro in the Angolan capital.
It forms part of Angola’s celebrations for its 50th anniversary of independence.
This encounter marks the first time the two national teams have met in 19 years. Their last game was a 2006 World Cup warm-up in Italy, which Argentina won 2-0.
Scaloni played a brief part in that 2006 match as a player, while a then 19-year-old Messi came on as a second-half substitute.