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Following his side's hard-fought win in their round of 32 match against Cabo Verde, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni hailed Cabo Verde for their performance, while also praising his own team for managing to respond in tough moments in a match that was not a "cakewalk".
Messi opened the goal tally in the 29th minute for defending champions, before Deroy Duarte hit the equaliser just when the clock hit one hour. 40-year-old heroic Cabo Verde goalie Vozinha kept denying Argentina an easy winner, before Lisandro Martinez levelled in the 92nd minute and met another stunning reply from Sidny Lopes. An own goal from Diney Borges in the 111th minute handed Argentina the sigh of relief that they had been wanting and a clash with Egypt in the round of 16. Following the match, Scaloni said, "A really tough match, you always have to focus on the positives. This team never gives up. And I have to give credit to our opponents--the truth is, when people say there is no such thing as an easy opponent, today [Cabo Verde] proved they are a great team. And I will take away the contribution from everyone. The truth is, everyone finished really tired, because they gave it their all. This is Argentina--if you do not understand that... it is hard... we Argentines will understand it, because nothing comes easy." He said that the team took "hits" at specific moments, but the team went out to "fight for the game". "You can always improve, but it is important that the team responded in the tough moments. We always aim for the opponent's goal. We play with heart. Everyone thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but we knew very well it was not," he added. Scaloni acknowledged that even though his side won the game, there are "things to correct". "We can debate whether we played well or poorly, but this team is not weighed down by taking charge of the match," he signed off. Notably, this was also Scaloni's 100th game in charge of Argentina since taking over in 2018, having won 73, lost just nine and drawn 18. Under his tenure, Argentina has won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Copa America 2021 and the Copa America 2024. (ANI)
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