By Kate Gaduna<\/p>\n
Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon<\/p>\n
Benin defender Mohamed Tijani has perfectly captured the unusual mood surrounding Lionel Messi\u2019s final appearance for Argentina, joking that his team has no special plan to stop the legendary No.10 \u2014 they simply want to enjoy the moment.<\/p>\n
Asked how Benin would deal with Messi, Tijani laughed: \u201cHow will we mark Lionel Messi? We don\u2019t need to mark him. Let\u2019s enjoy this match. There\u2019s no plan. HE\u2019S THE GOD OF FOOTBALL!\u201d The defender\u2019s words reflect the enormous respect Messi still commands, even from the opponents preparing to face him.<\/p>\n
For Benin, this is more than another international match. The West African nation has been given the extraordinary honour of becoming the final opponent of Messi\u2019s Argentina career. After years of unforgettable moments in the famous blue and white shirt, the Argentine superstar is preparing to bring his international journey to an emotional close.<\/p>\n
There is also an interesting African connection to Argentina\u2019s recent international schedule. The world champions have faced a number of African nations in recent years, including Angola, Mauritania, Zambia, Burkina Faso and now Benin. Each encounter has offered African players the opportunity to test themselves against one of football\u2019s greatest national teams, but the Benin match carries a completely different significance because of Messi\u2019s farewell.<\/p>\n
For Tijani and his teammates, this is therefore a moment to remember for the rest of their careers. They will have the opportunity to share the pitch with a player who has won the World Cup, Copa Am\u00e9rica titles and almost every major individual honour available to him.<\/p>\n
Messi\u2019s final international appearance also brings to an end one of the greatest chapters in Argentina\u2019s football history. From the disappointment of earlier years to the Copa Am\u00e9rica triumphs and ultimately the 2022 World Cup victory, Messi transformed his relationship with the national team and cemented his place among Argentina\u2019s greatest sporting icons.<\/p>\n
And perhaps Tijani\u2019s message sums up what this occasion means for Benin better than anything else: don\u2019t just try to stop Messi \u2014 enjoy the privilege of playing against him<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Kate Gaduna Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon Benin defender Mohamed Tijani has perfectly captured the unusual mood…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":29720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-african-football","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n