Super Eagles Star Ogenyi Onazi Recounts How Lionel Messi Tormented Super Eagles at 2014 World Cup

• Ogenyi Onazi is reminiscing how a Lionel Messi-led Argentina tormented the Super Eagles during the 2014 World Cup.
• It was a Lionel Messi vs Ahmed Musa show as both stars grabbed a brace each before Marcos Rojo won it for Argentina.
• Onazi, who was in the thick of the action for 90 minutes in the encounter, admitted that Messi was tough to handle.

Thursdays are for throwbacks, and Super Eagles star Ogenyi Onazi has taken football fans back on how Lionel Messi punished Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Onazi played the full 90 minutes in the encounter as the South Americans defeated the Super Eagles 3-2 in their final group game.

It was Messi who mesmerized the Nigerian team as the then Barcelona star opened the scoring as early as the 3rd minute.

The Africans restored parity less than sixty seconds later courtesy of a fine strike by Ahmed Musa, but Argentina took the lead again in first-half stoppage time courtesy of Lionel Messi again.

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And it was 2-2 in the 47th minute as Musa grabbed his brace to send the entire stadium into raptures.

Marcos Rojo then scored the winner for La Albiceleste in the 50th minute as the South Americans won the encounter 3-2, to top the group, FIFA.com reports.

Nigeria also progressed to the Round of 16 having finished second in Group F with 4 points, while Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina headed home.

The Super Eagles were knocked out of the tournament after losing 2-0 to France in the second-round courtesy of goals by Paul Pogba and a Joseph Yobo own goal.

Reminiscing on how Messi tormented the Super Eagles, Ogenyi Onazi stated that the seven time Ballon d’Or winner was all over the place.

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Onazi admitted that it was tough marking the Argentine, who led the team to the final of the tournament before they lost to Germany in the final.

Sharing highlights of the game in his Instagram Story, Onazi wrote:

“Messi won finish person life, we pursue this guy taya.”

Nigerians remember Matuidi

Sports Brief earlier reported that former France international Blaise Matuidi announced his retirement from professional football after a decorated career which spanned five clubs and 18 years.

Matuidi has been without a club since being left off the roster of MLS club Inter Miami in January 2022.

It remains unclear whether he received no further offers or turned them down.