BUENOS AIRES, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the world champions will stick to the same winning formula that delivered glory at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after on Friday finding out their group opponents for next year’s global tournament.
The Albiceleste were drawn with Algeria, Austria and Jordan in a Group J that fans in Buenos Aires described as favourable – though Scaloni warned that there would be no easy games.
“We are going to give the maximum and try to do what we did in the last World Cup, which is to give everything we can, not to give a ball up for lost,” said Scaloni, who entered the draw ceremony clutching the trophy as coach of the holders.
Argentina face a potentially tricky path to the final with a last-32 clash awaiting against a team in Group H – headlined by powerhouses Spain and Uruguay, plus Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.
“As in 2022, we say that there is no easy opponent. You have to play the games. If it is then that the group (H), the crossover is difficult. But first we have to get through and then we’ll see,” Scaloni said.
The coach said Algeria were “a good team with great players” and praised their coach Vladimir Petkovic, his former head coach at Italian club Lazio.
He also praised Austria for their “great qualifying round,” with the Austrians having finished top of their group, while debutants Jordan remained the unknown quantity – though Scaloni insisted Argentina would “not take anything for granted.”
The memory of Argentina’s shock opening 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in Qatar clearly lingers. “We have that experience, we have to play the match,” Scaloni said when discussing Jordan.
Back home, fans seemed pleased with their team’s draw.
“It seems to me that it is favourable, isn’t it?” Patricio Neira, a 45-year-old teacher, told Reuters TV.
“None of the big powers, no ‘bogeyman’ … there is no European team that’s one of the strong ones. I think it’s a good thing, especially for the first few games.”
Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw to win the 2022 World Cup.
(Report by Ramiro Scandolo, additional report by Miguel Lobianco; Editing by Javier Leira and Ken Ferris)
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