Marcos Rojo has only scored three goals for Argentina. Two of them have been against Nigeria.
His first goal came in the 2014 World Cup, when he scored Argentina’s third to beat Nigeria in the last match of the group stage. His third goal, scored Tuesday, was a call back, coming once again against Nigeria, and once again in the last game of the World Cup group stage, eliminating the Super Eagles. (His second goal was against Paraguay in the 2015 Copa America.)
In my mind, Rojo has a deep-seated hatred for Nigeria and everything to do with the country, and will stop at nothing until her children are mentally and emotionally broken.
On Tuesday, Rojo first hit Kelechi Iheanacho with a Street Fighter overhead kick, no foul. Then he handballed in the box, daring the referee and VAR to punish him for such a clear crime, much clearer than his super kick. But he knew that he would walk free, like an Argentine Wilson Fisk. And he did. Of course he did.
Then finally, to add injury to insult, Rojo came out of nowhere to score an unexpected finish from a defender, just when it seemed that Nigeria would progress. Because what is a villain without a grand, malicious, defining moment? A moment that’s calls to mind an earlier hurt? A moment that comes when people are most hopeful, when Nigerians over the world believed that their team would make it to the knockout rounds after an inconsistent World Cup?
Rojo — a virulent and vain villain, a veteran of this Nigeria and Argentina matchup, which has become a rivalry because these two teams are forever fated to face each other in every tournament — took that moment to commit his dastardly deeds. He’s the Grinch, and Nigerians are the citizens of Whoville.
My first memory of the Nigeria-Argentina rivalry is from the 1996 Olympics. I don’t recall much of the game — I was just five years old at the time — but I remember how happy everyone in my village in Nigeria was when we won. My parents recall that match whenever they talk about the greatness of the Nigerian national team. We beat the world power Argentina to win gold.
Two years before, Nigeria announced itself on the world stage by finishing first out of Group D in the 1994 World Cup. Nigeria was in the tournament for the first time. The group included Argentina, Bulgaria, and Greece. Nigeria won two games and lost one. The loss came against Diego Maradona’s Argentina, and as if the world was taunting Nigeria, Maradona would be kicked out of the tournament after that game for ephedrine use.
(The 1994 World Cup inspired one of the greatest songs in the international footballing world):
In 1995, Nigeria was drawn into Group B with Argentina in the King Fahd Cup — which would become the Confederations Cup — and they played to a draw.
I fell in love with the national team in 1996. Watching Kanu Nwankwo, Uche Okechukwu, Jay-Jay Okocha, Taribo West, Emmanuel Amuneke, and Tijani Babangida, I began to see the team as part of my identity. Because of 1996, I grew up believing that Nigerian footballers were some of the best in the world, that Nigeria was on par with the likes of Argentina.
Then began a long string Nigeria defeats at the hands of La Albiceleste. In 2002, they were both drawn into Group F of the World Cup with Sweden and England. Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 thanks to a Gabriel Batistuta goal, but both teams ultimately failed to advance.
Nigeria didn’t qualify for the 2006 tournament, but I’m certain that if they did, they would have ended up in in the same group as Argentina. In 2010 when Nigeria returned, they were placed in Group B with Argentina, South Korea, and Greece. Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0, but the game was famous for the Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, making a string of spectacular saves to prevent Lionel Messi from scoring.
In 2014, Argentina and Nigeria were in Group F with Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both teams advanced, but not before Argentina beat Nigeria, 2-3. Messi cleared away the memories of 2010 by scoring two goals in the first half. Ahmed Musa matched Messi’s goal total, but that antsy antagonist Rojo scored the winner.
So it has been that over the years, the image of Argentina players walking out against Nigeria has inspired dread for myself and many other Nigerians. It wasn’t surprising to see Argentina beat Nigeria to qualify Tuesday. History shows that Nigeria is the one team in the World Cup that they can squeak out a win against, regardless of the conditions surrounding their team. It didn’t matter that Maradona was on the verge of being banned from international football, or that, now, the players are mutinying against their manager.
Oh sure, Nigeria has found a way to beat Argentina in a few friendlies. They won 4-1 in June 2011 (though lost 1-3 the following September). And last November, this very Nigeria team, re-energized with young players who had conquered the World Cup qualifiers with ease, beat Argentina, 4-2. Alex Iwobi nutmegged Javier Mascherano before one of the goals, and it felt like a sign that this team was destined to go far in Russia.
It’s impossible not to hope for something better. Messi scored the first goal, but Nigeria didn’t cower. They stuck to their disciplined defending and counterattacks. Then Mascherano decided to gift Nigeria a penalty that Victor Moses put away with a composure that strengthened the idea that this team might not fall to Argentina as the others had. As the game went into the last few minutes, I was nearly intoxicated by that hope.
My body was shaking, I was screaming at the television for Nigeria to just hold on. Just for a few more minutes. I wanted to feel the joy that I felt watching my family celebrate the 1996 victory, even if it would have come from a draw. At least Nigeria would go through to the next round at Argentina’s expense.
But how dare I hope! How dare I believe! How I dare I try to defy the gods! At my most vulnerable moment, in the 86th minute, the vengeful and vindictive villain, Rojo, made his way into the box and ruined everything.