Nigeria sealed their place in the knock-out stages of the World Cup despite a 3-2 defeat to table toppers Argentina. Lionel Messi (2) and Marcos Rojo netted for the Argentines while Ahmed Musa scored a brace for the Africans.
The match got off to a sprint start as Argentina needed only two and a half minutes to open the scoring; Javier Mascherano played a fantastic through ball to Angel Di Maria, whose shot ricocheted between the post and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama before falling to Lionel Messi, who blasted in to the roof of the net.
Messi continuing his goal-a-game form to take his tally for the World Cup to 3 – a serious contender for the Golden Boot and perhaps showing glimpses of Maradona just as many had predicted before the tournament.
Their lead, however, only lasted a minute or so when Ahmed Musa picked up the ball on the left flank before cutting inside Pablo Zabaleta and curling the ball across to the far post, out of the reach of Sergio Armero.
Nigeria, knowing that a draw would see them into the last 16, reverted defending in numbers and hoping to pick Argentina off on the break, similar to what Iran did against La Albiceleste. The South Americans must have felt they were seeing deja vu as they once again struggled to break down a mass of defenders.
Gonzalo Higuain and Di Maria both had chances to reinstate Argentina's lead in the first half, while Messi tested Enyeama with a costless-kick from distance which was destined for the keeper's top-left corner.
A minute later Messi was given a second chance at a costless-kick closer to goal, this time Messi made no mistake, again putting it to the keeper's left but Enyeama could only look the net bulge, and so Argentina headed down the tunnel 2-1 to the good.
Nigeria equalised for a second time just moments into the second half when Musa was played in between Ezequiel Garay and Federico Fernandez. Ahmed Musa claimed a brace by side footing the ball past Romero.
They often say a team is at their most vulnerable when they've just scored and this can be said of Nigeria, who fell behind moments later thanks to Marcos Rojo. An Angel Di Maria corner took the slightest of touches off of Garay and then kneed in by Rojo.
Argentina were looking like the fantastic attacking side that we all expected before the tournament but just didn't show in their first two matches. Of course they displayed some frailties at the back at times, something Alejandro Sabella will no doubt aim to address before the knock-out stage gets underway.
Man of the hour Lionel Messi was given a standing ovation by a largely Argentine crowd in Porto Alegre when he was subbed off for Inter's Ricardo Alvarez.
The high intensity of the match died down for the final half hour or so. Zabaleta stopped Musa with a brave sliding tackle inside the box as Nigeria's number 7 sought his hat-trick, while Garay nodded narrowly wide from a corner.
Both teams will need to wait until later tonight to ascertain who they will meet in their respective last 16 ties, as Group E comes to a conclusion.
