Messi’s Argentina beat Cape Verde in dramatic extra-time finish to avoid World Cup upset
Reigning champions Argentina move on to face Egypt.
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MIAMI: Defending champions Argentina survived a major scare to beat World Cup debutants Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, keeping their title defence alive in dramatic fashion.
Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, had looked on course for a straightforward win when the talisman opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a typically composed finish.
But Cape Verde refused to be overawed, and midfielder Deroy Duarte levelled the score in the 59th minute, capping a disciplined display that pushed the contest into extra time.
The defending champions looked to have regained control when defender Lisandro Martínez scored in extra time to restore Argentina’s lead.
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But the drama was far from over.
Cape Verde struck back once more through Sidny Cabral, whose 103rd-minute screamer stunned Argentina and brought the debutants level again.
It was left for defender Christian Romero to salvage the win eight minutes later via a deflected header off Diney Borges, as Cape Verde were unable to come back for the third time.
After their narrow escape, Argentina face Egypt next.
For Cape Verde, their performance - going toe-to-toe with the reigning champions and taking the match into extra time - marks a huge achievement on the world stage.
The smallest nation ever to reach the knockout rounds had dreamed of pulling off what would be the greatest upset in World Cup history.
The team from the Atlantic archipelago have become one of the fairytale stories of this year's expanded 48-team tournament, confounding expectations by earning a draw with Spain before squeezing into the last 32 ahead of Group H rivals Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
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