Messi's subdued performance, Argentina struggles to victory over African team

Football result - On a day when Lionel Messi did not leave much of an impression, the Argentina national team still managed to overcome the challenge named Mauritania in the first friendly match of this March FIFA Days period.

The match between the Argentina national team and the Mauritania national team was full of drama and excitement from the very first minutes. Even though captain Lionel Messi did not start the game, the "Tango dancers" were still the ones who dominated the game. The South American representative quickly demonstrated their ability to coordinate smoothly with neat passes and effective ball control.

In the 17th minute, the Argentina national team scored the opening goal thanks to a sharp finish by Enzo Fernandez, after the Chelsea star easily defeated the opposing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Not stopping there, the squad of coach Lionel Scaloni continued to maintain an attacking momentum, constantly creating dangerous plays towards the Mauritania goal.

Meanwhile, the representative from Africa also had notable counter-attacking situations, but shots from Maata Magassa or Aboubakary Koita lacked accuracy or were brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Notably, close-range finishes and free kicks from the visiting team could not trouble the Argentina defense.

In the 32nd minute, La Albiceleste doubled the lead thanks to the brilliance of Nico Paz. The star born in 2004 became a perfect replacement for Messi by accurately executing a free kick from a distance of nearly 30 meters, forcing the Mauritania goalkeeper to pick the ball out of his net.

Moving into the second half, attention was focused on Messi, as the 38-year-old superstar was brought onto the field right at the start of the half. The attacking plays of the home team all went through the feet of the Inter Miami player, simultaneously creating many dangerous attacks towards the Mauritania goal.

However, Messi individually and his teammates appeared unlucky in front of opportunities and could not add another goal against the opponent. Meanwhile, the Mauritania national team played hard, trying to control and circulate the ball. This was rewarded with a consolation goal by Jordan Lefort in the final minutes of added time of the match.

Ultimately, the Argentina national team secured a convincing 2-1 victory over the Mauritania national team. After three days, Messi and his teammates will enter their final friendly match against the Zambia national team.