Rohr Reacts: Argentina Have Scored SIX World Cup Goals From Set-Pieces Vs Nigeria

Published: June 26, 2018

Of the seven goals Argentina have scored against Nigeria in their four previous meetings in the World Cup, six were scored from set-pieces, three corner kicks and three free-kicks.

At the 1994 World Cup, Claudio Caniggia notched a first-half brace after two free-kicks were awarded by referee Bo Karlsson, Argentina won their opening game against Nigeria in the 2002 World Cup thanks to Gabriel Batistuta's thumping header from a corner kick.

Gabriel Heinze headed home Juan Sebastián Verón's corner kick after six minutes to give Argentina a 1-0 win over the Super Eagles in South Africa 2010, while Lionel Messi and Marcos Rojo scored from a direct free-kick and a corner kick four years ago in Porto Alegre.

Reacting to the Super Eagles set-piece troubles in World Cup matches against the South Americans, manager Gernot Rohr told reporters at Monday's press conference : ''The set-pieces are scored everywhere, not only against us. I watch the matches of other teams, there are goals from set-pieces, it's not only in our matches.

''In the friendly in Krasnodar, they scored from a set-piece, it was a free-kick, it was a gift because the goalkeeper, who believed it was offside, touched the ball with his hand outside the box.

''But we scored also from a nice free-kick from Iheanacho. It's not only African countries who have problems with set-pieces, Sweden conceded a goal against Germany last minute.

''We have to work on it, we do it in training. I saw that in the second game against the good players of Iceland especially in this situation, we were much better than in the first one, we are improving.''

Nigeria have given away two penalties in the ongoing World Cup, with William Troost-Ekong and Tyronne Ebuehi the offenders, and Rohr is hoping his young and inexperienced team will improve in today's match.

''I hope there will not be a penalty against us because my young players sometimes can make a mistake. I hope we will be okay defensively and better offensively,'' Rohr added.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel