Argentina Midfielder : Saint Petersburg Fans Will Support Argentina Not Nigeria

Reacting to Friday evening's World Cup draw in Moscow, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg's Argentina international Emiliano Rigoni has noted that the two-time world champions will have more support than their Nigerian counterparts when both teams face off at Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018.

Four Argentina internationals Leandro Paredes, Matías Kranevitter, Emiliano Rigoni and Emanuel Mammana are on the books of Russian Premier League club Zenit Saint Petersburg, while the young striker Sebastián Driussi has played for Argentina's U20 national team.

''Of course, it's a pleasure to play at the stadium in St. Petersburg, but I think everything that concerns the cities and arenas is a simple coincidence,'' Rigoni told Sport Express Russia.

''Argentina sets itself the highest goals, so we will have to play at many stadiums. About Zenit-yes, many of us were summoned to the national team for qualifying matches and friendly games, but the final list of players for the World Cup is not yet known, so we must continue to work hard to be among the final 23 people.

''The stadium factor will neither help nor harm Argentina.''

Emiliano Rigoni played the last fourteen minutes of Argentina's 4-2 loss to Nigeria in a friendly in Krasnodar on November 14.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel