Cape Verde Leave Mark on Scaloni as Argentina Survive World Cup Shock

Argentina's World Cup campaign faced an unexpected and dramatic challenge as they edged past Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in a bruising Round of 32 encounter.

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Of the 100, this one has surely left the biggest mark on me as a coach.

Lionel Messi's 20th World Cup goal gave the defending champions an early advantage. However, Cape Verde, making a remarkable first appearance at the tournament, refused to be intimidated. Deroy Duarte's goal leveled the score, and even after Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina's lead, Sidny Lopes Cabral's stunning strike brought the African side level again.

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It would have been crazy to have lost.

The decisive moment came when Diney Borges inadvertently scored an own goal under pressure from Cristian Romero, finally securing Argentina's passage to a last 16 clash with Egypt. Coach Lionel Scaloni, marking his 100th match in charge, described the game as the most impactful of his tenure.

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I want to congratulate the opponent. When people say there are no easy games, today they proved they are a great team.

"Of the 100, this one has surely left the biggest mark on me as a coach," Scaloni stated. "It would have been crazy to have lost." He lauded Cape Verde's performance, emphasizing that "there are no easy games" and that his team could take nothing for granted. Argentina will now face Egypt, with a potential quarter-final against Switzerland, Colombia, or Ghana on the horizon.

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I'm taking away the contribution from everyone. We finished very tired, but they gave it their all.