Coach Alejandro Sabella unveiled a list of 18 foreign-based players to host the Ecuadorians on June 2 and for a friendly against Brazil a week later in the United States, with defender Matias Rodriguez, who plays in Chile for Universidad, was the most unexpected name.

Rodriguez received his first call-up, having played for the youth teams of Boca Juniors before having spells in Ecuador, Austria and Uruguay.

Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta, Hugo Campagnaro, Marcos Rojo, Federico Fernandez and Ezequiel Garay are the other defenders in the list, which the head coach should complete in a week with home-based players.

Internacional midfielder Pablo Guinazu is another surprise name, while Carlos Tevez is one high-profile name who misses out.

Together with the Man City forward, others who will follow the matches on TV are Javier Pastore and Rodrigo Palacio.

Argentina squad: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria); Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Matias Rodriguez (Universidad de Chile), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Hugo Campagnaro (Napoli), Marcos Rojo (Spartak); Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago (Roma), Jose Sosa (FC Metalist), Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool), Pablo Guinazu (Internacional), Eduardo Salvio (Atletico Madrid); Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) .

"I played with Maradona for seven years and he was magnificent," Ardiles said at a press conference. "I thought I would never see another player like that but I have to say Messi is better."

Ardiles said he was confident Messi can help Argentina win a World Cup before his career is over.

"Messi hasn't had the results with the national team yet but I am sure that will come," Ardiles said. "There is a natural evolution and players today are just getting better. Messi is by far the best."

Maradona captained Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup and was captain of the team that reached the final in 1990. Messi played for Argentina at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups where the team lost in the quarter-finals.

The 59-year-old Ardiles, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1978 before playing and coaching English club Tottenham Hotspur, was hired in January to coach newly-promoted Japanese second division club Machida Zelvia.

Zelvia currently is 17th in the 22-team J2 standings with two wins and five losses after seven games but Ardiles said he is taking a long-term approach with the young team.

"I'm not too worried about the standings," Ardiles said. "Things are getting better little by little and our goal is to get into the top division and win the J-League championship."

He also managed Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and club teams in Mexico, Croatia, Spain and Paraguay.

Ardiles coached the J-League's Shimizu S-Pulse from 1996 to 1998 and was named Manager of the Year in 1998. He became coach of Yokohama F Marinos in January 2000, but was let go in June 2001 after a poor start to the season.

From 2003 to 2005 he coached Tokyo Verdy, where he helped the team win the 2004 Emperor's Cup. But in July 2005 he was fired after a nine game winless streak.

Japanese football has come a long way since he first coached there, but Ardiles says much work remains.

"There is no doubt it is better but Japanese football has hit a ceiling," Ardiles said. "They need to change the culture here to take it to the next level where you could compete against the elite teams."

The Barcelona playmaker scored twice in the final five minutes to secure victory after Xherdan Shaqiri had cancelled out his 19th-minute opener.

Ukraine won 3-2 over Israel in Tel Aviv. Oleg Gusev (16 pen) and Yevhen Konoplyanka (44) gave Ukraine 2-0 lead which it needed as the host pushed it after the break.

Tomer Heman (56 pen) pulled a goal back and while Andriy Yarmolenko (60) made it 3-1 Ben Sahar (62) immediately responded to leave Ukraine to hang on.

Fellow EURO 2012 co-host Poland drew 0-0 with Portugal.

New Turkey boss Abdullah Avci's first game in charge ended in a 2-1 defeat by Slovakia in Bursa.

Substitute Sebastian Larsson scored twice as Sweden beat Croatia 3-1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (13 pen) opened the scoring before a Jonas Olsson own goal (44) levelled matters.

The Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Czech Republic in Dublin while Andrey Arshavin celebrated his return to Russia by scoring in its 2-0 win over Denmark.

Wales was unable to celebrate a win on a night dedicated to its late former boss Gary Speed, who died last year. The host was beaten 1-0 by Costa Rica on an emotional night in Cardiff.

Norway beat Northern Ireland 3-0 in Belfast, Greece was held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Belgium and Austria was an easy 3-1 winner at home to Finland.

World number 133 Luxembourg upset FYR Macedonia 2-1, Malta beat fellow minnow Liechtenstein by the same scoreline while Stevan Jovetic's second-half brace gave Montenegro a 2-1 win over Iceland.

Armenia thrashed Canada 3-1 while Georgia was a 2-1 winner at home to Albania. There was also a 1-1 draw between Bulgaria-Hungary.

Serbia's trip to Cyprus ended 0-0 while Moldova-Belarus and Latvia-Kazakhstan were also goalless.

Morocco beat Burkina Faso 2-0, South Africa and Senegal was goalless while Tunisia drew 1-1 with Peru.

The midfielder is one of 18 men named by coach Alejando Sabella.

As well as Rodriguez - who has not played for his country since the 2010 FIFA World Cup - there are also unexpected selections in the shape of 31-year-old Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro and Roma midfielder Erik Lamela.

Argentina squad: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria); Hugo Campagnaro (Napoli), Cata Diaz (Getafe), Luciano Monzon (Nice), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City); Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool), Erik Lamela (Roma), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago (Roma), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Jose Sosa (Metallist); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Rodrigo Palacio (Genoa), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) and Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Pele called on his own record of three FIFA World Cup triumphs as well as a career tally of 1283 goals to reserve judgement on the little Argentine wizard.

"Some people will say that Beethoven didn't know how to play the piano, that Michelangelo couldn't paint and that Pele didn't know how to play football," Pele told Le Monde newspaper.

"When Messi scores 1283 goals like me, when he wins three World Cups, then we can talk about it again.

"Football changes and records are there to be beaten, but it'll be very hard to beat mine. People ask me all the time: 'When is the new Pele going to be born?'

"Never. My father and mother have closed the factory."

Maradona led Argentina to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where it was thrashed 4-0 by Germany, and his contract was subsequently not renewed by the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Bilardo has admitted that he has not spoken to the former football legend since then, but did not rule out a possible reconciliation.

"We don't talk any more. Since 1983, with Diego, we've argued at least 40 times," Bilardo told France Football magazine.

"For the past year and a half, (the relationship) is over. But you can never say never, never again," he added, in reference to Maradona's chances of returning to the national set-up.

Regarding their falling out after the World Cup, Bilardo said: "He should have stayed. But he wanted to keep all his technical staff and we didn't agree with this. He said: 'It's all or nothing.' We told him: 'All? No!' And he left."

Bilardo led an Argentina side spearheaded by Maradona to glory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, but relations between the pair have since soured.

After his contract as national coach was not renewed, Maradona claimed that he had been "lied" to by AFA president Julio Grondona and "betrayed" by Bilardo.

Maradona was succeeded by Sergio Batista, who was in turn replaced by Alejandro Sabella following Argentina's quarter-final exit as hosts at this year's Copa America.

Messi has won a host of top honours with Barca but has yet to taste major honours with the albiceleste, which is without a top title since 1993 and which flopped at the Copa America on home soil in July.

Many observers are puzzled as to why his club form rarely appears at international level.

"I still have this dream and that is to be a world champion and lift the Copa America with the national side. And I know I'll do it, I am convinced I shall," said Messi in an interview published on Monday with the Argentina Football Association.

"I don't have to demonstrate anything to anybody. I would love to win a title with the national team but I am just another one in the group who wants to do the best for Argentine football, nothing more."

Under new coach Alejandro Sabella, Argentina got off to a mediocre start to its World Cup qualifiers with an embarrassing loss to Venezuela but a recent win over Colombia put it on a more even keel and it is now level on points with regional group leader Uruguay - albeit having played a game more - and Venezuela.

"The group are doing fine. But we needed a win like that to strengthen ourselves. It has revitalised us," Messi said, recognising that "sometimes we don't quite get up to the mark either in terms of performance or the result. We are aware of that".

On the difference between playing for his country and Barca, with which he has just won the world club title, Messi said: "They are two different things. Barcelona are the best team in the world - even non-fans admit as much. That is the result of years of hard work with the same teammates.

"It's more difficult with the national side and we've been through a lot of chopping and changing of coaches in recent years," he said.

"But we are growing and I know we are going to achieve a lot."

Alejandro Sabella's side controlled possession during most of the first half, but could not find a way through the Cafeteros' defence.

It was the host which broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, midfielder Dorlan Pabon's free-kick taking a wicked deflection off Javier Mascherano.

The visitor was on level just after the hour mark, though, thanks to an error by Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina. The Nice stopper spilled Jose Sosa's cross, allowing Barcelona forward Messi to flick the ball into the empty net.

Argentina sealed an unconvincing win five minutes from time on the counter-attack. Messi fed Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, whose cross-shot was saved by Ospina but Manchester City frontman Aguero was on hand to tap home the rebound.

Man of the match Messi said: "It was hard. We did not deserve to go one goal behind to the opponents, as they were not better than us.

"We wanted to forget about the tie against Bolivia [a 1-1 draw]. That was very hard for us and I think we did.

"Sometimes you can play better, and other times you have to fight harder. This game was one of those days."

The victory moved Sabella's team on to seven points from four games - level at the top of the South American zone standings with Uruguay, which has a game in hand.

Higuain added: "We wanted to win. We were very low after the game on Friday and we promised to do better here.

"It was a great match, very difficult to play at a demanding venue, but we improved our performance in the second half and did it.

"Now, we have six months to try to find our best shape. The qualifiers are long and we made a good step today."

Venezuela moved level with Uruguay and Argentina at the top of the standings thanks to a 1-0 win over Bolivia in San Cristobal.

Argentina earlier triumphed in Colombia to go level on points with Uruguay, which was not in action, and Cesar Farias' Venezuela joined them on the seven-point mark after defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo headed home a 25th-minute corner to give the Vinotinto its second win in four matches.

It was a third defeat in four games for Bolivia, which remained bottom of the standings and was unable to repeat the form it showed in a 1-1 draw against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Both Chile and Ecuador moved within a point of the leading trio with victories.

Claudio Borghi's Chile claimed a 2-0 home win over Paraguay at the Estadio Nacional.

Pablo Contreras opened the scoring in the 28th minute by nodding home a right-wing cross from Matias Fernandez, and Matias Campos-Toro came off the bench to double the lead four minutes from time. His shot was deflected into the net by Paraguay midfielder Victor Ayala.

Borghi said: "I'm proud of what the players did. I feel they played for me, for the technical staff and it makes me feel proud."

Paraguay coach Francisco Arce, meanwhile, told reporters in Santiago: "Chile made the most of their goalscoring opportunities.

"We had some and we could have scored them, but their keeper had a great night."

In Quito, Ecuador overcame Peru 2-0. Cristian Benitez set up Edison Mendez to break the deadlock in the 69th minute, the ball going in via the left post.

Benitez lashed home a loose ball two minutes from time to make the points safe.

Ecuador boss Reinaldo Rueda said: "Peru played an excellent match and were aggressive. We could not relax.

"The players must now keep playing well at their clubs, finish this league in good form and start the new year even better."

Peru stayed on three points from three games and is second bottom in the standings.

The home side even had to come from a goal down as Ezequiel Lavezzi levelled the opener from Bolivia's Martins Moreno as many of the fans at the poorly-attended match booed as they left the stadium.

Bolivia made its intentions clear from early on as it packed its half of the field, making it difficult for Argentina to create clear-cut chances.

Javier Pastore was charged with supplying Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain but found himself heavily marked for most of the match.

Argentina looked to have created an opening after 21 minutes but Messi was penalised for a foul when he set up the chance for Higuain and Ecuadorian referee Carlos Vera awarded the visitor a free-kick.

Messi then forced a good save out of Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Arias before a Pastore shot came back off the frame of the goal.

Bolivia had the first chance of the second half but Pablo Escobar shot over the bar after a mistake by Argentina's Martin Demichelis had presented him with the opening.

Ten minutes into the second half another mistake by Demichelis was punished as Moreno beat keeper Sergio Romero to open the scoring.

Lavezzi, who had come on as a substitute to replace Ricky Alvarez, levelled the scores four minutes later.

Fernando Gago set up the chance and Lavezzi netted the equaliser with a low shot from just inside the area.

Lavezzi went close to scoring a second for Argentina on two occasions, first firing wide from Higuain's pass before putting a header wide of the target.

Messi also went close to scoring, failing to get a good shot in after being set up by Pastore and then hitting another effort wide.

But Argentina was unable to break down the Bolivia defence for a second time and had to settle for an unexpected and disappointing draw.

Watch Argentina v Bolivia LIVE on SBS ONE and streamed online on Saturday 12 November from 6.45am AEDT.

The 23-year-old missed City's win over Aston Villa last month after suffering a similar injury in the first half of the 4-0 win at Blackburn Rovers.

The Albiceleste faces Bolivia in Buenos Aires, with Paris St Germain's Javier Pastore standing by to take Aguero's place if the City man does not make it.

Technical director Alejandro Sabella told the Argentinian Football Association's official website, afa.org.ar: "Sergio Aguero has a sore groin and is doubtful for the match against Bolivia.

"In the event that Aguero does not play, Javier Pastore may replace him.

"The rest of the team to play Bolivia is: Sergio Romero, Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Burdisso, Martin Demichelis, Clemente Rodriguez, Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Ricardo Alvarez, Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain. We do not know whether Aguero will be able to play."

After naming foreign-based players last week, Sabella added Boca Juniors goalkeeper Agustin Orion and defender Clemente Rodriguez and Estudiantes duo Leandro Desabato and Rodrigo Brana for the games on November 11 and 15 respectively.

The four players are due to meet the coaching staff at the Argentinian Football Association training camp in Ezeiza city.

Argentina had a promising debut on the road to the 2014 World Cup as it hammered Chile 4-1 in Buenos Aires, but it lost 1-0 at Venezuela in the second matchday last month.

The Bolivia match will be played in Buenos Aires, while the Albicelestes then visit Colombia in Barranquilla.

Argentina squad: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors); Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Martin Demichelis (Malaga), Luciano Fabian Monzon (Nice), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Clemente Rodriguez (Boca Juniors), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow); Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Fernando Gago (Roma), Pablo Guinazu (Internacional), Osvaldo Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Jose Sosa (Metallist); Javier Pastore (Paris Saint Germain), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), German Denis (Atalanta), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).

Also left out following the painful defeat to Venezuela earlier this month are Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez,Nicolas Otamendi, Ricky Alvarez, Eduardo Salvio, Nicolas Pareja, Emiliano Insua, Fabian Rinaudo and Rodrigo Palacio.

Defensive midfielder Fernando Gago and striker Ezequiel Lavezzi have been called in, along with midfielder Pablo Guinazu and defender Luciano Fabian Monzon.

Argentina began its qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Chile but lost four days later in Venezuela.

It faces Bolivia in Buenos Aires on November 11 (November 12 AEDT) and Colombia in Barranquilla on November 15 (November 16 AEDT).

Sabella is expected to add home-based players to his squad next week.

Argentine squad: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Martin Demichelis (Malaga), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Luciano Monzon (Niza), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago (Roma), Ever Banega (Valencia), Javier Pastore (Paris Saint Germain), Pablo Guinazu (Inter Porto Alegre), Jose Sosa (Metallist), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Di María (Real Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), German Denis (Atalanta), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica).

Blandi struck in the 14th and 62nd minutes for Julio Cesar Falcioni`s men, who are six points clear at the top of the table.

A 3-1 win over Argentinos Juniors allowed Atletico Rafaela to stay in touching distance in second.

Diego Gandin got Argentinos going with a sixth-minute penalty and Federico Gonzalez doubled the lead in the 20th minute.

It was three before the break thanks to Oscar Carniello and it looked as though the goals would continue to flow when Juniors had Emilio Hernandez sent off before the break.

But Rafaela pulled a goal back through Gustavo Oberman and kept the scoreline respectable.

Velez Sarsfield moved into third place on the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Estudiantes.

David Ramirez got the goal after just the seventh minute, with the side then holding out to secure a sixth win of the campaign.

Adrian Gonzalez scored the only goal of the game 15 minutes from time as Arsenal Sarandi beat San Lorenzo 1-0.

Fernando Amorebieta was the Vinotinto's hero as Cesar Farias's side defeated the Albicelestes for the first time in its history.

The result saw Venezuela bounce back in style after suffering a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in its opening qualifying clash at the weekend - a match from which key players were rested.

Venezuela, the only team in the South America condeferation not to have qualified for a World Cup, attacked Argentina throughout and the return of midfielder Javier Mascherano and defender Martin Demichelis in Argentina's line-up was not enough as Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain under-performed in Puerto La Cruz.

The only goal of the game came in the 61st minute, when Athletic Bilbao defender Amorebieta headed the ball into the back of the net after a corner by Juan Arango.

Earlier, Argentina keeper Mariano Andujar was the key figure. In the first half, he saved a superb free-kick by Arango while the Catania custodian also stopped an Arango shot in the second period.

"We have to analyse what we should improve. The qualifiers are a long tournament and we must improve some aspects," Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella said.

"Venezuela did not let us build attacking plays. In the first quarter of an hour we played well, but then our form dipped and Venezuela played better."

Venezuela defender Defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo said: "We have to keep our feet on the ground.

"We dream about the World Cup. In the Copa America earlier this year, it was a matter of seizing the moment. Now, we have to keep ourselves at a good level for three years."

Midfielder Cesar Gonzalez added: "We made history. We brought our soul on the field.

"We are family. We back the coach and each other. The goal is the World Cup. We defeated a big team, but there is a long, long way to go."

Tim Vickery blog: A match-up to savour

After the albiceleste sent the Chile packing 4-1 in its opening match, with Gonzalo Higuain netting a hat-trick and Messi also hitting the target, coach Alex Sabella said it was as if a dead weight had been lifted from the players' shoulders.

Barcelona's Messi produced one of his best displays in the national shirt and after he capped the performance with a goal, Sabella, who succeeded Sergio Batista two months ago, said it was time to put to bed claims the superstar cannot replicate his scintillating club form at international level.

"This goal will be important for Lionel to lay to rest this apparent collective psychosis that he can't do the business with Argentina," Sabella insisted.

Sabella, who led Estudiantes to the Copa Libertadores two years ago, is tasked with leading Argentina through to the 2014 finals in neighbouring Brazil, but, beyond that, with making the two-time world champion a team to be feared once more.

Since a 1993 Copa success, seven coaches have come and gone without achieving senior level silverware.

The qualifying programme is the first step for Sabella and his charges to show that they have the right blend.

The task is made easier in principle by the absence from the qualifiers of already-qualified Brazil, meaning the Argentinians can go about their business fully focused on winning the group in the absence of the five-times world champion.

Venezuela will be a test on its own turf, having played some attractive football in reaching the Copa semis for the first time.

Four years ago, Argentina won the World Cup fixture 2-0 though they only just managed to qualify after some erratic showings with Diego Maradona taking the helm mid-campaign.

This time it has good momentum after thumping Chile, although there will be no underestimating the Venezuelan side, even though the Albiceleste will be reinforced by the return from injury of Martin Demichelis and Javier Mascherano from suspension.

Venezuela went down to Ecuador in its opening qualifier and coach Cesar Farias, eulogised by President Hugo Chavez for his Copa exploits, admitted that "they deserved to beat us."

Now the Venezuelan side has to dig deep at Puerto La Cruz as its bids to lose its unwanted tag of being the only South American side never to reach the finals.

"The qualifiers are not just about one game, and we have to bounce back from the loss and get points on the board," Farias said.

Copa America winner Uruguay, having begun with a promising 4-2 home win over outsider Bolivia, now meets Paraguay, the team it beat to land the continental crown in July.

Veteran Diego Forlan is warning that the test in Asuncion will be one of the most difficult of the tournament.

"We know Tuesday will be tough. They'll be playing at home and we know they have good players so it will be a hard one for us," said Forlan, who needs one goal to become his country's all-time top scorer.

"They always give us a tough workout and as this one is in Assuncion it will be no exception."

Paraguay got its campaign off to a rocky start in losing the opener away to Peru which, after a shocking 2010 qualifying programme, came third at the Copa America.

Peru will hope to keep its recent promising form going as it heads for Chile while Colombia faces Bolivia at altitude in La Paz's Estadio Hernando Siles, where four years ago it managed a goalless draw.

There are four automatic regional qualifying slots up for grabs plus one via the playoffs

Barcelona superstar Messi was at his majestic best - following on from some below-par showings in the national shirt - scoring once in a display which saw the Argentinians cast off the demons of a failed July Copa America campaign on home turf.

Messi, who scored goals for fun as Barcelona terrorised teams at home and in Europe all season, cut a dejected figure at the Copa, save for a fine group phase showing against Costa Rica, and that prompted some observers to ask if he would ever really fit into the national team.

But after his performance against Chile, Sabella insisted things were now clicking.

"This goal will be important for Lionel to lay to rest this apparent collective psychosis that he can't do the business with Argentina," said Sabella, who succeeded Sergio Batista after the Copa America.

"But this (scoring) is not a worry anyway as he is always extraordinary and if he does not score he comes up with the move which enables someone else to."

Messi notched the second goal and was generally a thorn in Chilean flesh although many of the plaudits went to Gonzalo Higuain, the Real Madrid striker netting a hat-trick at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Before the match Sabella had praised Messi effusively, saying of his captain: "In general terms, Messi never plays badly. The only thing is that you always have to evaluate his performances in a general context.

"There are many games in which Messi has shone for Argentina, but because he hasn't perhaps been decisive people are left thinking that he has not played as well."

Chile struggled without key men such as Alexis Sanchez, Gary Medel and Pablo Contreras.

Argentina has not lost a World Cup qualifier at the venue for 18 years and Higuain, two of whose goals were laid on by Real club-mate Angel Di Maria, noted 'it was important to get off on the right foot and we did just that. Now we have to keep this up'.

Argentina, looking for one of four automatic regional qualifying slots - Brazil as host is guaranteed a berth and one more is available via the play-offs - travels midweek for its second qualifier to Venezuela, surprise Copa semi-finalist in July but which went down 2-0 in Ecuador.

The 4-1 win over Chile kicked off Argentina's 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in commanding fashion.

"It was important to get off on the right foot and we did just that," Higuain told AFP.

"I liked a lot of what we did tonight. Now we have to keep this up."

In other results, Copa America winner Uruguay got its qualifying campaign off to a winning start by beating Bolivia 4-2 in Montevideo, while Ecuador defeated Venezuela 2-0 and Peru saw off the challenge of Paraguay 2-0.

Messi has frequently struggled to repeat his club form on the international stage, but after being appointed coach, Sabella immediately sought to show how important the Barcelona man is to the cause by handing him the armband.

Now he has insisted that the man widely regarded to be the world's best player does not deserve the criticism he has received for his performances when representing his country.

"In general terms, Messi never plays badly. The only thing is that you always have to evaluate his performances in a general context," said Sabella on the eve of the game at the Monumental stadium.

"There are many games in which Messi has shone for Argentina, but because he hasn't perhaps been decisive people are left thinking that he has not played as well.

"But recently he has laid on goals, like against Costa Rica and Uruguay."

Sabella - who will be taking charge of Argentina in a competitive game for the first time - also explained why he made Messi captain despite the 24-year-old's shy and retiring nature.

"There are different types of leadership. Some players lead with their personality while others lead because of their position in the footballing hierarchy.

"He is a player that is highly respected and admired by his teammates. He has matured a lot in recent years."

Chile will be searching for its first win away to Argentina in a competitive fixture and must do so without several key players, with Alexis Sanchez, Gary Medel and Pablo Contreras all injured.

Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is set to start in defence for the visitors because of the injury situation, meaning he could be charged with the task of stopping Messi.

"Messi does a great job for Barcelona and he has been improving for Argentina, but we are going to try and ensure that nobody notices he is the best player in the world when he plays against us," said the 24-year-old.

Second half goals from Lucas and Neymar helped the Selecao claim a deserved win in Belem, following a goalless draw in the first leg of the friendly tie in Cordoba, Argentina.

Both sides played with local-based players as it was not a date FIFA set aside for international duty.

Brazil had the best opportunities to score and Argentina was forced to play defensively at the Estadio Mangueirao.

In the 13th minute, Neymar shot from outside the box and Argentina keeper Agustin Orion saved with his left hand, while Neymar failed to finish.

Eight minutes after the interval, from an Argentina corner kick, Lucas broke away and opened the scoring with a right-foot shot.

Brazil kept pressing and managed to double the lead in the 75th minute, when Bruno Cortes passed to Diego Souza.

He crossed from the left and despite the attempts of Orion and defender Emiliano Papa to clear, Neymar was able to finish.

Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson saved a powerful right-foot shot from defender Ivan Pillud.

Argentina suffered its first defeat under recently-appointed boss Alejandro Sabella, who claimed friendly wins over Venezuela and Nigeria before the 0-0 draw with Brazil in the first leg of this tie.

Neymar said he was delighted by the fans' support: "They were wonderful. They cheered since the national anthem.

"I think even the Argentinians were shocked. We tried to pay back all the love they brought to us."

Argentina defender Leandro Desabato said: "Brazil played very well. In the second half we made the game even.

"With a counter-attack, they won the game. We are happy with the second half. Playing this way is not easy, as in Argentina we've been playing games in three or four days."

"In the second half, we had more opportunities than Brazil. In the first half, they played much better. In the 180 minutes, Brazil won deservedly."

The Cruzeiro playmaker is one of four Brazil-based players in the list for the return match of the Superclasico de las Americas following a goalless draw 10 days ago in Cordoba, Argentina.

Due to the game taking place on dates not officially set by FIFA for international action, Sabella was unable to select players from outside South America such as Carlos Tevez or Lionel Messi.

Montillo told SporTV: "To be selected for the national team is a dream come true.

"Being called for a World Cup, the qualifiers or even a friendly match is an honour."

Alongside Montillo, Internacional trio Andres D'Alessandro, Pablo Guinazu and Mario Bolatti were called up.

Boca Juniors star Juan Roman Riquelme will miss this game due to a knee injury but five of his team-mates were included in the list - goalkeeper Agustin Orion, defender Clemente Rodriguez, midfielder Cristian Chavez and forwards Pablo Mouche and Lucas Viatri.

Argentina squad: Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors), Marcelo Barovero (Velez Sarsfield), Esteban Andrada (Lanus); Emiliano Papa, Sebastian Dominguez (both Velez Sarsfield), Christian Cellay, Leandro Desabato (both Estudiantes), Ivan Pillud (Racing Club), Jonathan Bottinelli (San Lorenzo), Clemente Rodriguez (Boca Juniors); Augusto Fernandez, Hector Canteros (both Velez Sarsfield), Agustin Pelletieri (Racing Club), Cristian Chavez (Boca Juniors), Pablo Guinazu, Andres D'Alessandro, Mario Bolatti (all Internacional of Brazil), Walter Montillo (Cruzeiro of Brazil); Gabriel Hauche (Racing Club), Pablo Mouche, Lucas Viatri (both Boca Juniors), Emanuel Gigliotti (San Lorenzo).

Tevez was not selected by Sabella for recent friendlies and did not play well with Barcelona star Messi during the Copa America.

Sabella's main surprise was naming forward Rodrigo Palacio of Italian team Genoa for his first appearance on the national team since 2008.

Argentina faces Chile on October 7 in Buenos Aires before playing at Venezuela on October 11 in opening matches of South American qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Sergio Aguero, Tevez's teammate at Manchester City, is likely to team up front with Messi.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andujar (Catania). Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Federico Fernandez, (Napoli), Martin Demichelis (Malaga), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Nicolas Pareja (Spartak Moscow), Marcos Rojo, (Spartak Moscow), Emiliano Insua, (Sporting). Midfielders: Javier Mascherano, (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Valencia), Fabian Rinaudo, (Sporting), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), Jose Sosa (Metalist, Ukraine), Javier Pastore (Paris SG), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica). Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Rodrigo Palacio (Genoa), Eduardo Salvio (Atletico Madrid).

Gabriel Buono, Maradona's former private secretary, made the accusation, saying of his ex-boss: "He talks about bribes but, if you are looking for someone who is corrupt, the first person is Maradona - I've got all the evidence."

Maradona caused a stir on Thursday when alleging that Batista had taken bribes to include certain players in the national team.

Batista was sacked after July's Copa America flop on home soil having only replaced Maradona after the 2010 World Cup, which ended in a quarter-final thrashing by Germany.

He had already been in the Argentine coaching set-up before taking over from Maradona as coach of the senior side after leading the Olympic squad to glory at the 2008 Games.

Batista responded by threatening legal action against Maradona, now coach of UAE club Al Wasl, for telling TyC Sports broadcaster that 'after we (Maradona and his entourage) took over the team, there was an end to bribes'.

Maradona suggested that certain arrangements had been in place to give certain players guarantees before he stamped out the practice.

Batista strongly rejected Maradona's allegations and said he would take legal action to counter Maradona's 'falsehoods (which are) a product of resentment' at being ousted as national coach.

Messi has been central to Barcelona's astounding success in the past few seasons but he has failed to show the same kind of scintillating form for his country.

"We must let him be happy. We must let him play completely freely on the pitch," Sabella, 56, said at a press conference on Monday after arriving in Bangladesh on the second leg of the side's short South Asian tour.

The new coach said he has a good relationship with Messi, who was named captain ahead of the two friendlies, one in India against Venezuela last week and the second in Bangladesh against Nigeria.

Argentina won the match in Kolkata 1-0, with a Messi corner setting up the goal for Nicolas Otamendi.

Sabella said Messi would repeat his prolific scoring feats at Barcelona for Argentina once he had settled in as national captain.

"I am waiting for him to score. We must give him the tranquillity. He is the best player in the world," Sabella said, as his side prepares for World Cup 2014 qualifiers starting next month.

Argentina disappointed home fans in the Copa America in July when it lost to eventual winner Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

The Copa failure cost Sergio Batista his job as national coach and led to Sabella's appointment.

Sabella would not reveal his team for the Nigeria game in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka but said the side had no grudge with the opposition, who beat Argentina's second team 4-1 in Nigeria in June.

"I don't think revenge is a good word. It's not good for human beings. It's not good for anyone. It's a football game and we'll try to win," he said.

"It's a different game. It's a different country. A neutral country. We don't have too much time to prepare. I am a new coach. I just started to know all the players and the players started to know me," he added.

English newspaper The Guardian reported that FIFA was probing heavy betting on a late goal being scored in the game in June, where Nigeria took on an under-strength Argentina.

Nigeria won the match 4-1 but Argentina scored from a contested penalty in the eighth-minute of injury time.

Messi's arrival in Bangladesh - which has never hosted top-class international football before - drew scores of fans wearing Argentinian jerseys to the airport while many others camped outside the team hotel.

But fans have complained bitterly about being unable to afford the minimum ticket price of $US100 to get into the 24,000-capacity Bangabandhu National Stadium.

The stylish South American side, which has had a massive following in Bangladesh since the 1980s, will play in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon (local time) against Nigeria.

But only half of the tickets have so far been sold for the game - the biggest football match in the country's history - with many fans unable to afford the entry price.

Passion for the beautiful game runs deep in Bangladesh despite the national team's lowly ranking of 139 in the world and the long-standing dominance of cricket.

During the football World Cup last year, the country was covered in Argentinian and Brazilian flags as raucous fans adopted one or other side and supported them with ferocious loyalty.

Messi's scheduled arrival on Monday from India, where Argentina beat Venezuela in another friendly, is likely to trigger huge excitement in the nation of 150 million people.

But minimum ticket prices of 7,500 taka ($95) and the expense of Eid celebrations last week marking the end of Ramadan could leave rows of empty seats at the 24,000-capacity Bangabandhu National Stadium.

"It's a ridiculous price. They don't want real soccer fans to watch Messi's match. I earn just 8,000 taka per month. How can I afford a ticket?" Rajib Ahmed, 25, a chemical tester at a private company, told AFP outside the ground.

"I saved some money and bought a ticket for Monday's practice session.

"It costs 1,000 taka, which is still too much. I just want to see Messi in action. He is the best player on earth."

Ahead of 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting next month, Argentina - under new coach Alejandro Sabella - are on a two-match tour of India and Bangladesh to boost interest in the game in South Asia.

The 1-0 win over Venezuela in Kolkata was played in front of nearly 80,000 cheering fans, with comprehensive coverage by Indian television stations and newspapers.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) says it has spent four million dollars bringing the match to Dhaka in the hope it would raise the sport's profile and inspire young people.

"If you want to see Messi play, there is some cost," head of BFF's match organising committee Anwarul Haq Helal told AFP on Sunday.

"We have sold only 50 percent of the tickets at the moment. We did not expect this.

"It's the biggest soccer match in Bangladesh's history.

"We are still hopeful all tickets will be sold just before the match. I am confident once Messi arrives here, things will change."

The 24-year-old Barcelona striker enthralled the crowd at the 120,000-capacity Salt Lake Stadium on Friday with his dribbles and his magical left foot and the crowd came to life every time he touched the ball.

It was from a Messi corner that full-back Nicolas Otamendi headed in the game's only goal on the 67th minute.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella rushed out from the dugout to hug his team and savour the win in his first match in charge of the two-time World Cup winner.

Messi came close to scoring twice in an entertaining first half while Angel Di Maria failed to convert a Messi assist in the ninth minute despite having only Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo to beat.

Venezuela provided more of a threat after the break, with Sergio Romero forced into action to deny Cesar Gonzalez.

That helped ease the anxiety of Sabella, who was looking to get off to a good start after replacing Sergio Batista as coach in the wake of Argentina's disappointing performance at the Copa America on home soil in July.

The 14-time Copa America winner was knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals by Uruguay, triggering a wave of criticism from home fans desperate to see their team break an 18-year title drought.

The game marked a new start for Argentina as it seeks to rebuild ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and if it ever needed any extra motivation for winning this game, it came from the fans in Kolkata, who waved Argentina flags and brought the house down with their constant cheering of Messi's men.

The eastern Indian city has been gripped by Messi mania since the Argentinian team arrived for what will be the biggest football match ever held in a country where 'sport' often simply refers to cricket.

"The God of football is in town, it's almost surreal," Malay Banerjee, a 34-year-old software professional, said as he queued for a ticket at the Salt Lake stadium which is hosting the game.

"My father, myself and my son are all Argentina fans. For us it is a dream come to true to have the team play in our own backyard," Banerjee said.

India's boundless passion for cricket is well known but the appetite for football is growing in the South Asian nation of 1.2 billion people.

The game is especially popular in West Bengal and its state capital Kolkata.

Visits by top-class foreign teams are rare and there has certainly never been anything to compare with the Argentina-Venezuela contest.

"It can't get bigger than this," said housewife and mother-of-two Rumki Bose, 38.

"We booked our tickets the day they went on sale. We did not want to take any chance and miss watching this game."

About 2,000 fans, many of them decked in Argentina's strip with Messi's name and number, thronged Kolkata airport when the 24-year-old Barcelona star flew in early on Wednesday.

Most were disappointed as he was whisked away under tight security but they quickly decamped to the team hotel where many planned to maintain a vigil until the night of the match.

"I have barely been able to sleep the last two nights," said office worker Rohini Biswas.

"I never thought I will get a chance to see him play at one of our stadiums."

The FIFA-sanctioned friendly will be Messi's first game as captain of the national side and also marks the first outing for Argentina's new coach Alejandro Sabella, who replaced Sergio Batista after a disappointing campaign in July's Copa America.

The two-time World Cup winner lost to eventual winner Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

"Messi is not only the best player of Barcelona but the world as well," Sabella told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

"He will have a very important role to play for Argentina as we pursue our World Cup dreams. He is a lot more important than me."

Messi has struggled to replicate his astonishing club form for Barcelona on the international scene, but Sabella argued that comparisons were misplaced.

"Barcelona is the best team in the world and the players have been playing together for a long time, so they understand each other really well. Comparing Messi's various performances would be unfair," he said.

Venezuela goes into the contest on the back of its best showing in the Copa America, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Paraguay on penalties.

The Venezuelans, ranked 44th in the world to Argentina's 9th - India is 158th - will also be keen to avenge a 4-1 away friendly defeat to the former world champion in March.

The new Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, who will be taking charge of the national team for the first time, has chosen the Barcelona superstar as his skipper, replacing his Barca team-mate Javier Mascherano.

"We have to be thankful that we have Messi, the best player in the world, and grateful that he wants to play for our national team," Sabella said.

"He always plays well; our duty here is to give him peace. If we give him peace and make him happy, we will all be happy."

Sabella is yet to confirm his line-up for the friendly but plans to have Messi on the right side of the attack, and not use him as a centre-forward as his predecessor Sergio Batista did. Messi would share the front line with Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria.

Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez should also be a starter after not figuring for Batista, and Inter Milan new man Ricky Alvarez could also be involved.

Venezuela, who after decades of being the weakest team in South America, has gained ground in recent years and finished fourth at the Copa America in July.

"Things are very balanced in South America now; that was seen in the Copa America," coach Cesar Farias said.

"We know we will have to take precautions against Argentina, they're a very powerful team.

"But we won't change the way we play. Our goal is to find the best shape for the World Cup qualifiers (which start in October), as we feel now an added pressure to grab a ticket to the next World Cup."

The FIFA-sanctioned friendly between the South American rivals, in the build-up to World Cup 2014 qualifiers, will be the biggest football match in India where cricket's dominance has long left football in the dirt.

But football does thrive in the match venue of Kolkata, formerly Calcutta.

The city has a rich tradition of club competition, and excitement in and around the Salt Lake stadium - the largest in India - is building.

"It will be a memorable day for Kolkata as it will witness a few great players live in action during their peak years," said Bhaswar Goswami of the Celebrity Management Group, which brokered the deal to bring Argentina to India.

Thousands of fans waited at Kolkata airport for Messi's arrival early on Wednesday but he slipped past the chanting crowds without being spotted.

While cricket is undoubtedly India's first sporting love, the fast-developing country of 1.2 billion people is a huge potential football market with more and more middle-class viewers tuning into satellite TV.

English Premiership side Blackburn Rovers is now Indian-owned, and Liverpool is opening a coaching academy on the outskirts of New Delhi in October.

Bayern Munich visited Kolkata last year to play a charity match with top domestic side East Bengal, the German side's second visit in two years.

But India has never seen the likes of Barcelona superstars Messi and Javier Mascherano grace the field.

After captaining the national side once at last year's World Cup, Messi will be starting his tenure as full-time skipper.

"Messi is loved by millions of fans across the globe," said Argentina's assistant coach Julian Camino, after the striker was handed the captain's armband by new manager Alejandro Sabella, in place of Mascherano.

"He's aware that he will be well-received by his fans here too," said Camino, a former Argentina right-back who had a brief stint as a player with East Bengal in 1988.

"He's the captain of the side and he's pretty excited about coming here. We hope the stadium will be packed and it will be a memorable match."

Argentina, hoping to build up a loyal following across south Asia, heads after Kolkata for a friendly on 6 September against Nigeria in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh - already a hotbed of football fever.

During the 2010 World Cup, Bangladeshi fans adopted either Argentina or Brazil.

When power cuts hit television coverage, riots erupted and factories were ordered to close to avoid further blackouts.

While the 24-year-old Messi will be the centre of attention, his team will look to start afresh after a disappointing performance in the Copa America at home in July when it lost to eventual winner Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

The Copa failure cost Sergio Batista his job as national coach and led to the appointment of Sabella, who was assistant Argentina coach from 1994 to 1998 and led Estudiantes to the Copa Libertadores in 2009.

Sabella signalled he meant business by dropping Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez from the squad to face both Venezuela and Nigeria.

"It is an extremely important match both for me and the team," Sabella said.

"There are huge expectations from us back home and it is a big responsibility. Venezuela are a good side and we will be approaching the match with utmost seriousness."

Venezuela goes into the contest on the back of its best-ever showing in the Copa America, reaching the semi-finals where it only went out to Paraguay on penalties.

The Venezuelans, ranked 44th in the world to Argentina's 9th - India is 158th - will also be keen to avenge a 4-1 away friendly defeat to the former world champion in March.

Sabella, who has named one squad of domestic players for back-to-back friendlies against Brazil and one including overseas-based players for games against Venezuela and Nigeria, has overlooked Tevez but included his new City team-mate Sergio Aguero in the latter.

Tevez's club future is up in the air as his expected transfer from Eastlands has yet to transpire and his international prospects under Sabella are now in question.

Tevez was a favourite of Diego Maradona but enjoyed a more fractious relationship with the departed Sergio Batista and was only a late call-up to the Copa America squad.

Martin Demichelis, Nicolas Otamendi, Jonas Gutierrez, Lucho Gonzalez and Lisandro Lopez are all back in the squad, which is captained by Barcelona ace Lionel Messi.

More than 15,000 tickets have already been sold online for the FIFA-sanctioned 2 September match at the 100,000-capacity Salt Lake Stadium, but organisers are predicting a surge of sales in coming days when the squads are announced.

Football frenzies have struck in Kolkata before, most notably when Brazilian great Pele turned out for the U.S. club Cosmos in a friendly against local club Mohan Bagan in 1977 and when German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn played for Bayern Munich against Bagan in 2008.

Local football administrator Utpal Ganguly says this game is more important than those featuring Pele and Kahn.

"Messi and Carlos Tevez are in the prime of their careers whereas Pele and Kahn played here during their twilight years," Ganguly said. "I'm sure the crowd response will pick up once the list of players is announced."

But some like 63-year-old football fan Binay Mukherjee are not sure whether the big names will play here.

"It would be great to watch Messi and Tevez, but a doubt has cropped up among fans here on whether they will be released by their respective clubs," Mukherjee said.

Another worry is the steep prices of tickets.

Suvadeep Ghosh, an 18-year-old engineering student, says young people may not be able to afford the tickets.

"It would be a great experience for me to see Messi and Tevez. But I am not sure whether my desire would be fulfilled as the cost of tickets is pretty high," Ghosh said.

The minimum cost of tickets is 500 rupees ($10.51) for registered football players of the city and 1,200 rupees ($25.22) for others.

The match comes at a time when national body All India Football Federation is hoping to give an impetus to the world's most popular game in a country of 1.2 billion where cricket reigns.

Last year, the AIFF signed a 15-year commercial deal with IMG-Reliance, which will market football in India at all levels.

"The decision has been taken. Sabella is the choice," Meiszner told official news agency Telam.

Argentina's Copa America quarter-final exit to Uruguay earlier this month cost Batista his job even though he had only replaced Diego Maradona just eight months earlier.

Batista was vilified in the press for not seeming to know his best team - he chopped and changed after a poor start before Carlos Tevez, whom he dropped after two games, returned to miss the decisive spot-kick against Uruguay.

As a player, Sabella had brief stints with Sheffield United and Leeds United. Before coming into the frame as Batista's successor he had been in line to take charge of Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.

Sabella, who is 56 and who began his playng career with River Plate in his home city of Buenos Aires, won the Copa Libertadores with Estudiantes two years ago.

That success was instrumental in pushing him to the front of the queue to replace Batista, who was dumped after proving unable in his sole tournament in charge to end a trophy drought at senior level going back to 1993, though he did steer the Olympic side to glory in 2008.

Since a 1993 Copa success, seven coaches have come and gone without achieving senior level silverware.

AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo announced the move in the wake of the team's disappointing campaign in the Copa America, which it hosted.

Argentina was eliminated in quarter-finals by Uruguay, which went on to lift the trophy with a 3-0 win over Paraguay in Buenos Aires.

Cherquis Bialo told reporters: "The national teams committee has decided to rescind the contract that attached Mr Batista with the Argentinian Football Association.

"In a very good natured, mature telephone conversation, Mr Batista and Mr Julio Grondona (the AFA president) talked and Batista left his situation in the hands of the AFA.

"Batista is a man who does not need any explanation. He talked to the AFA president and allowed him to decide whatever he considers the right thing."

As Argentina starts the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign in October, the AFA hopes to name Batista's successor within a week.

"In the upcoming seven days, we hope we can reveal the name of the new coach," Cherquis Bialo said.

"The candidates' names will be evaluated by the national teams committee."

Argentina was scheduled to play a friendly against Romania next month, but Cherquis Bialo announced it has been cancelled.

Paraguayan federation president Juan Angel Napout made the announcement after the 3-0 loss to Uruguay in the Copa America final. Napout says he will give a 'hug' to Martino no matter what decision he makes.

Martino, who is an Argentine, only says: "I continue to be the Paraguay coach."

Argentine Football Association officials will meet on Monday to discuss the future of coach Sergio Batista. The AFA is under pressure to replace him after Argentina was beaten in the quarter-finals. Martino, Alejandro Sabella and Carlos Bianchi have been mentioned as replacements.

"Batista is more out than in," the national news agency Telam quoted an AFA executive committee member as saying on Friday, while broadcaster C5N said: "His days are numbered."

The media speculated Batista, whom the AFA confirmed only last Monday as being safe for now, had lost the support of committee members and forecast a decision would be made on Monday in advance of an official announcement Tuesday.

The committee will meet on Monday afternoon in Buenos Aires.

Batista took to the media to defend himself.

"I am sure of my footballing ideas and how to translate them onto the pitch. I always said the Copa was all about getting ready for the World Cup in 2014," he said in a letter to Clarin newspaper.

"I recognise there were mistakes (at the Copa) and I am prepared to correct them. I am absolutely resolved to keep going.

"The Copa was not in vain," he insisted, adding: "When changes had to be made I made them."

Batista was vilified in the press for not seeming to know his best team - he chopped and changed after a poor start before Carlos Tevez, whom he dropped after two games, returned to miss the decisive spotkick against Uruguay.

Should Batista be fired, names in the frame to succeed him are Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino and also Alejandro Sabella, who as a player had brief stints with Sheffield United and Leeds and who is set to take charge of Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.

Sabella won the Copa Libertadores with Estudiantes two years ago.

Batista said he could understand the widespread disappointment after the team exited the Copa on home soil after a quarter-final shootout loss to old rival Uruguay, who will now take on Paraguay in Sunday's final.

"I understand this pain, which is genuine and not ill-meant, as we did not deliver the goods," Batista wrote.

Humberto Grondona, AFA sub-director of team affairs at the Argentine Football Association and the son of AFA president Julio Grondona, said on Monday the organisation would keep faith in the man who only officially replaced Diego Maradona six months ago.

There will be no "brusque changes - we never thought of going down that road," Humberto Grondona said, indicating Batista would steer the team through the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers from October.

Maradona, dumped after last year's World Cup quarter-final thumping by Germany, was also criticised for using too many players but in any case had a poor relationship with Grondona senior.

Maradona himself bitterly criticised Batista in an interview, saying he would not dare show his face after the Copa exit, adding: "If I had only beaten Costa Rica (Argentina's sole Copa success), I would have gone of my own accord."

Maradona and Batista were teammates in the side which won the 1986 World Cup.

Argentina's next scheduled match is a friendly on August 10 against Romania in Bucharest.

In early September it will face Copa giantkillers Venezuela in a gala match in India, then takes on Nigeria in Bangladesh on September 6.

Messi's Barcelona team-mate dismissed claims the Argentina forward cannot operate without his presence in midfield.

"Like all football players, Messi depends on the collective. I depend on Messi and Messi on me and all of his team-mates. We are lucky to have an extraordinary collective," Xavi said. "People are very glum and like to blame the world's best player."

Messi, who scored 53 goals for Barcelona last season, failed to score for his country for the second straight major championship as Argentina exited the South American championship in the quarter-finals to Uruguay. He was also scoreless at last year's World Cup when Argentina went out at the same stage.

"All these criticisms have been exaggerated," Xavi said. "He had a fantastic Copa America but the way Argentina exited makes it easy to blame the best."

Xavi welcomed news that Barcelona was set to sign Chile forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese and that the European champion was negotiating with Arsenal for Cesc Fabregas.

Xavi, who arrived at pre-season training with a slight pain in his calf muscle, expects the three-time defending Spanish champion to be the favourite in all competitions come the new season.

"All teams in Spain and in Europe are preparing hard to beat Barcelona," he said. "We won the league, the Champions League and today we're the reference for football so for all of these reasons we have to be well prepared."

The Argentine Football Association says it will keep Batista on as coach despite its quarter-final loss on penalties to Uruguay - he only succeeded Maradona after last summer's World Cup quarter-final loss to Germany.

But Maradona says the decision is wrong.

"If I had only beaten Costa Rica (Argentina's sole Copa success) I would have gone of my own accord," Maradona told Radio Belgrano.

"What is happening right now is not the fault of the players. Julio Grondona is doing just what he likes," Maradona asserted, alluding to the AFA president, with whom he was in regular conflict during his ill-fated stint as coach.

He and Batista were teammates in the side which won the 1986 World Cup but the two have been at loggerheads since Batista took over after Maradona was forced out.

Just as the Copa started, Maradona asserted Batista should not complain about being in the spotlight and, if he didn't like the accompanying pressure, he should "cross the border to Uruguay, where nobody would recognise him", unlike his predecessor, who is instantly recognised worldwide.

"I can't speak much as I don't see the games," admitted Maradona, who agreed to coach Emirates side al Wasl and who has been preoccupied in recent weeks with his mother's deteriorating health.

Those commitments aside, he finds watching too painful.

"When the players come onto the pitch, it's like a knife being twisted inside me," he revealed.

The 14-times champion lost a quarter-final to Uruguay, now going for a 15th title, on a penalty shootout.

But Humberto Grondona, sub-director of team affairs at the Argentine Football Association and the son of AFA president Julio Grondona, said the organisation would keep faith in the man who only officially replaced Diego Maradona six months ago.

There will be no 'brusque changes - we never thought of going down that road', said Humberto Grondona in an interview with Radio La Red.

'The technical staff have to have sufficient wisdom to draw conclusions' from the Copa failure to end a trophy drought stretching back to 1993.

"The future lies before us - the qualifiers (for the 2014 World Cup)," he added.

Batista has been vilified in the media for not seeming to know his best team - he chopped and changed after a poor start but still that did not prevent the Uruguay loss when Carlos Tevez missed the decisive spotkick to send the Uruguayans through to a semi-final against Peru.

Batista must 'protect himself and see which player is of no use to him', said Grondona junior.

"We hope he will change," he added.

Maradona, dumped after a World Cup quarter-final thumping by Germany, was also criticised for using too many players but, in any case, had a poor relationship with Grondona senior.

Argentina's next scheduled match is a friendly on 10 August against Romania in Bucharest.

In early September, it will face Copa giantkiller Venezuela in a gala match in India then takes on Nigeria in Bangladesh on 6 September.

Maradona was given the boot after the World Cup last year but Sergio Batista is under pressure after barely half-a-year in the job after Lionel Messi and company failed to weave their magic on home soil to extend a trophy drought standing at 18 years.

Outside the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association in the Ezeiza suburb of Buenos Aires, some fans had stuck placards on walls and lamp posts demanding 'come back Diego'.

Batista insists he will not resign, saying the target was the 2014 World Cup.

The game ended 1-1 after regulation time and there was no addition to that scoreline in extra time. The final tally in the shootout was 5-4 to Uruguay.

Diego Perez gave Uruguay a surprise 1-0 lead in the 6th minute but Gonzalo Higuain equalised in the 18th.

Argentina had a man advantage from the 39th when Perez received his second yellow card. But goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and Uruguay's rugged defence stopped Argentina, which had a dozen chances in regulation and extra time.

The teams returned to even strength when Javier Mascherano was sent off on a red card in the 87th.

It could get even uglier if Argentina loses to Uruguay on Saturday in a quarter-final being played in the northern city of Santa Fe, the same venue as for last week's debacle and just a short drive from Messi's birthplace in Rosario.

This is supposed to be the tournament Argentina wins to end an 18-year drought without a major international title. But its small neighbour across the River Plate estuary stands in the way with almost the same team that reached last year's FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

"Against Uruguay, this is a final," said Messi, who has not scored for Argentina in his past 15 competitive internationals, including the Copa America, World Cup and World Cup qualifiers.

The other three weekend quarter-finals offer more regional intrigue. Colombia faces Peru on Saturday, before two-time defending champion Brazil plays Paraguay and Venezuela takes on Chile on Sunday.

The final is July 24, and that's the first time Argentina and Brazil could meet.

Brazil has won the last two titles - both in finals against Argentina - and four of the last five.

Messi and Argentina redeemed themselves on Monday, defeating Costa Rica 3-0. After two miserable opening games, coach Sergio Batista dropped Messi back into a playmaker role.

He dribbled and turned just as he does at Barcelona, threading passes to forwards Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria.

Batista will go with the same 11 with Fernando Gago and Javier Mascherano at midfield.

The victory still wasn't overly impressive, as Costa Rica fielded an under-23, Olympic-style team in the South American championship, where it played as a guest from the CONCACAF region.

Uruguay, meanwhile, has one of the most experienced teams in the tournament, led by forwards Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez.

Messi, who has hardly spoken publicly during the first two weeks, held his first news conference on Thursday and was immediately asked if - faced with the nasty insults from fans - he intended to keep playing for Argentina's national team.

"Although they criticise me, I will always come to the national team," Messi said. "Criticism by the fans bothers me and everyone, but we are aware that we didn't do things correctly. Nobody likes to be whistled at. It happened because the team did not play well."

Julio Grondona, the president of the Argentine Football Association, in a radio interview talked tongue-in-cheek about Messi staying away from Argentina, where he is often seen an outsider and lacks the charisma of Diego Maradona.

"The solution would be if he (Messi) said: 'I'm not coming again, I'm staying in Spain."'

The game could centre around two forwards who are teammates at Atletico Madrid - Forlan and Argentina's Sergio Aguero.

Aguero, who has said he "will not return" to the Madrid club, has scored three of Argentina's four goals.

Forlan is in a terrible slump. Voted the best player in last year's World Cup, he has not scored a goal with the national team since South Africa. His last goal with Atletico Madrid was in March.

Forlan's had chances in the first three games, left open several times only to shoot wide or over the crossbar.

"I'm not going to drive myself crazy. The goals will come," Forlan said.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he was not worrying about Messi.

"If you have a problem, and you have no solution - why worry about it," Tabarez said.

Uruguay won the first Copa America in 1916 and kept its momentum going through to the first World Cup, which it lifted in 1930.

With that inaugural Copa success coming on Argentinian soil, the home side will not be taking Forlan and company lightly in Santa Fe.

Historians of the world's oldest surviving international tournament also will point out that for the first six of Uruguay's 14 continental successes it beat Argentina, which also has 14 crowns, in the final.

It took until 1927 before the boot was on the other foot.

The Argentinians have won six Copas in eight hostings of the event - but on the other two occasions it was the Uruguayans who proved too strong, including in 1987, when even Diego Maradona could not prevent defeat as the then world champion finished fourth.

Argentina has famously won nothing at senior level since the 1993 Copa while Uruguay won the 1995 event and then trailed off until it reached last year's World Cup semi-finals.

The pair's head-to-head record reads 13-13 but both are looking to their star men, Messi for the host, and Forlan for the Uruguayans, to turn the tide their way this time.

"This match will generate interest around the world," predicted Uruguay striker Sebastian Abreu.

"Both countries have 14 titles and the winner will be well on the way to winning a 15th."

Veteran Abreu says the task is to shackle Messi, although he admits he loves watching the Barcelona man play.

"You have to enjoy watching Messi - we're going up against the best player in the world. But Colombia kept him under wraps with a compact team," said Abreu, of Brazilian side Botofogo.

"What we have to do is make sure we create a few chances."

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez also believes Messi could be key.

"Messi can create a lot of problems for us that are not going to disappear," he said.

"But, happily, we can also do a lot of things that neither Messi nor anybody else can prevent."

Argentina coach Sergio Batista, who hopes Messi will show his club form, as he did against Costa Rica, may opt to take Gonzalo Higuain out of the starting line-up.

Batista is believed to be pondering adding Esteban Cambiasso or else Lucas Biglia and taking out Real Madrid striker Higuain, who missed several chances against Costa Rica, in what would be a slightly more cautious line-up than the one which flattened the less wily Ticos.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez meanwhile promises that 'it will be do-or-die and now the tournament is really beginning in earnest'.

The last time sky blue and white went up against sky blue at the Copa was at the 2004 edition in Peru, when Argentina won an opening-round meeting 4-2.

Argentina went on to lose the final on penalties to Brazil, which thumped it 3-0 in the last final in 2007. Hence, the host's burning desire to stop the auriverde - meeting Paraguay on Sunday - from completing a hat-trick.

But try as they might to shake the tree, their rivals have not managed to dislodge them and the trio now have time to regroup having finally made it, albeit belatedly, into the quarter-finals.

Joining them, however, are five teams who are out to prove that the tournament is not a closed shop when it comes to lifting the trophy.

Neutrals will be delighted one of the five is Venezuela, reaching this stage for the first time on foreign soil after holding Brazil and coming back from 3-1 down to hold Paraguay.

Brazil now take on the Paraguayans - who came within a minute of beating it in the group.

While the Venezuelans revel in their role of gatecrashers, the Auriverde, the Albiceleste and the Charruas - the only sides on the continent to have tasted World Cup glory - will now seek to show the old guard still rule.

Yet positive performances by the likes of Chile, Venezuela's next opponent, suggest the heavyweights can take nothing for granted.

One of the Big Three will definitely not be in the semi-final draw as the Argentinians face the Uruguayans at Santa Fe.

With Lionel Messi starting to fire on all cylinders, the host should advance.

But Uruguay in the past has been a thorn in the flesh of its illustrious neighbour.

Although Argentina has won the tournament on six of the eight occasions it has hosted it and matches the 14 titles of its rival from across the River Plate, the two times it messed up saw the Uruguayans benefit.

The first was in the inaugural tournament of 1916, while the latest slip-up came in 1987.

In those early days, Brazil was less keen on continental superiority - the Auriverde preferred to earn World Cup kudos.

But recently, amid Argentina's ongoing trophy drought, the Brazilians have decided that rubbing in superiority on both levels is a cosy feeling.

While the samba stars have won four of the past five editions - Colombia, through to a meeting with Peru, bagged a title in 2001 to break the sequence - the Argentinians and Uruguayans have slid out of the limelight.

That 1987 surprise was Uruguay's last win to date, while Argentinians need no reminding that since they triumphed in 1993 the senior side has won nothing at all.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez, a former handler of Argentinian side Boca Juniors, says he is looking forward to Saturday's encounter.

"It will be do or die and now the tournament is really beginning in earnest," noted 'El Maestro'.

Counterpart Carlos Batista meanwhile has slammed the door shut on the debate as to whether his side can or should try to play like Barcelona.

"I don't have to copy Barcelona; nor do I have to ask (Barca coach Pep) Guardiola for advice," he told ESPN.

The difference against Costa Rica was that Messi, 53 goals for Barca last season, excelled as provider, only underlining his versatility.

The duel will take place at the Santa Fe stadium nicknamed the elephants' graveyard, scene of numerous domestic shocks.

While Chile and Uruguay appear the biggest threats to have a tilt at the title, the big guns, early travails behind them, are now loaded.

As Brazil striker Pato warned after his side dispatched Ecuador, when the going gets tough, the top teams get going.

"This is where the Copa starts," said the Milan sharpshooter.

Colombia, which has not played in the World Cup since 1998, has shown off a so-called 'Golden Generation' of new players led by striker Radamel Falcao. The Porto forward scored twice in group play, leading Colombia to first place in Group A ahead of Argentina.

Chile, despite a new coach in Claudio Borghi, is playing just like it did a year ago in the World Cup when it reached the second round. Chile was probably the best team in the group stage, but now the two South American giants are lurking.

Colombia and Chile will be favourites in the weekend quarter-finals. Colombia faces Peru on Saturday and Chile plays Venezuela on Sunday. If they win they are likely to find Brazil and Argentina in the semi-finals. Argentina faces Uruguay on Saturday and Brazil has Paraguay on Sunday.

"This generation is going through a good phase," Colombia forward Hugo Rodallega said. "We are excited and want to change the recent fortunes of the national team."

Most of this team was on the 2005 squad that won the Under-20 South American championship.

"People have faith in us, in this generation," midfielder Abel Aguilar said. "Before we came here they were confident, and now little by little we are giving back. Most of us have known each other for years."

Colombia's main worry may be scoring goals with only three in the first three matches, and none in a 0-0 draw with Argentina in group play.

Colombia's star is Falcao, while Chile's main man is Alexis Sanchez. His current club Udinese and Barcelona have been in talks, with Sanchez expected to land with the European champion.

Borghi took over as coach earlier in the year for Marcelo Bielsa, who was very popular and credited with turning around Chile, which hadn't been in the World Cup since 1998.

Chile has also had problems scoring with only four goals - two against a weak Mexico.

"We've never had this (favourite tag), and now that we have it we have to take advantage," said Borghi, who took the Chile job after an unsuccessful stint at Argentine club Boca Juniors. "It doesn't weigh on me being a candidate. When this team plays, it looks like a candidate to win it."

The surprise so far has been Venezuela, the only member of the South American confederation which has never reached the World Cup finals. Venezuela stunned Paraguay with two goals in the final five minutes for a 3-3 draw.

Uruguay and Paraguay have disappointed.

Uruguay, with Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, has not looked like the semi-finalist it was in last year's World Cup. But facing Argentina could change that.

"This is a special match that you can really feel; people are excited," Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said. "Definitely, Argentina stands in the way of our goal of being champions."

Argentina and Uruguay have each won the title 14 times. Brazil has won eight, but has won four of the last five including the last two in finals against Argentina.

Paraguay reached the second round of the World Cup a year ago, but may have trouble rebounding from conceding the late draw with Venezuela.

"We can't explain this," Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios said after the shock. "In five minutes they scored two goals. We leave with a sour taste in our mouth."

Peru has done well just to survive, playing the tournament without top forwards Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro.

Released from being a 'number nine', Lionel Messi revelled in being what he really is - namely, a striker who likes to attack from deeper, leaving real centre-forwards in front of him.

Argentina is, as coaches and players past and present have lined up to hammer home in recent days, not Barcelona.

But, as Diego Maradona pointed out before the Costa Rica game, that fact - and draws with Bolivia and Colombia - does not mean that Messi is not the greatest footballer on the planet.

With Barcelona, he is a master at scoring goals at a phenomenal rate - most of them spectacular.

But he is also a master creator and coach Sergio Batista allowed him to slip into that role on Monday as scoring duties were shared between two-goal star Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria.

Batista bit the bullet, dropping popular Carlos Tevez and putting Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain upfront, allowing Messi to roam where he wanted, waving his wand as the conductor of an orchestra which, as if by magic, is suddenly playing in tune.

Messi simply excelled, leading the dazed Costa Ricans a merry dance, setting up two goals and countless other chances which, had Higuain in particular not been so profligate in his finishing, could have produced a score approaching double figures.

Messi said the woes of the past week, which had seen fans turn on the side, were forgotten.

"Now another Copa is starting," said Messi.

"I want to thank people for getting behind us tonight - we had missed such affection. I want to thank the people of Cordoba for their backing for me and for everybody," he said in pointed allusion to the incessant and occasionally brutal criticism of the squad since the tournament began.

Batista was able to pronounce himself 'very satisfied' as he greeted reporters after the game.

"We created a host of chances - which had not been the case earlier," he acknowledged.

"We were full of confidence and this produced a strong showing against Costa Rica."

It was almost as if the Argentinians had delved back into their history of 30 years earlier, when Mario Kempes, a son of Cordoba, was knocking in the goals on the way to World Cup glory in 1978.

Fittingly, Kempes was in the 54,000 crowd in the stadium which bears his name.

Batista noted that Monday's match had seen the Argentines marry two qualities which they and Brazil possess in spades - yet often fail to blend properly.

"We had individuals playing at the highest level but also a collective engagement, which at times was very good," Batista said.

"The team showed a lot of character to do that after two games where things did not quite work so well. But these players always show the right attitude."

While eulogising the group Batista could not resist singling out the sheer brilliance of Messi.

"Today Messi shone - so did the team. Leo changed position a bit and was freer to receive the ball."

When the man from Rosario got it - which was often - the destruction he wrought was something special to behold.

The Argentina international, currently on duty at the Copa America, has been linked with Inter Milan as well as Chelsea and Manchester United.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed life in Serie A after joining Palermo from Huracan for 19 million euros in 2009 and would happily stay.

He told Sky Italia: "If I left Palermo, I would like to remain in Italy. I have played in Italy for the last two years and feel very comfortable there.

"If I leave Palermo it will be to join a stronger team. I know Palermo president (Maurizio) Zamparini speaks to my agent. I am calm."

Pastore was Palermo's leading scorer in Serie A last season with 11 goals. The playmaker is valued at 50 million euros by his club and is under contract until June 2015.

The Atletico Madrid striker opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time and doubled his side's advantage seven minutes after the interval before Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria sealed victory in the 63rd minute.

The result sent the host through to the last eight along with Group A winner Colombia, leaving Costa Rica having to wait to see if it will progress as one of the two best third-placed teams.

Sergio Batista's side was in need of a win in order to keep its destiny in its own hands.

The Argentina coach made four changes to his starting line-up with Fernando Gago, Di Maria, Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain coming in for Ever Banega, Esteban Cambiasso, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Carlos Tevez.

The Albicelestes had a number of opportunities in the early stages - most of which were created by Barcelona's Lionel Messi - but Di Maria, Higuain and Aguero were unable to capitalise.

Fans at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba had to wait until the last minute of the first half for the deadlock to be broken. Costa Rica goalkeeper Leonel Moreira failed to hold onto a Gago blast and Aguero made no mistake from a simple rebound.

Messi set up the second goal for Aguero soon after the break to give Argentina further breathing space.

Messi had struggled to find his top form in his side's opening two draws in the competition but continued his influential role in this game by feeding Di Maria for a third goal just after the hour, the Real Madrid man supplying the left-footed finish.

Argentina could have extended its winning margin with five minutes remaining but Lavezzi's shot hit the post.

Aguero was thrilled with his side's first win of the tournament.

"We enjoy this a lot. We needed this," he told Channel 7.

"We played very, very well. We scored the goal we had needed in the previous match, but the most important thing is that we played great football tonight."

Argentina does not know yet know who it will face in its quarter-final, but Aguero believes the host should just focus on itself.

"We have to keep this form, no matter who the opponents are," he said. "We are better than any other team."

Coach Batista was delighted with Messi's two assists and general return to form.

"Lionel was brilliant, like the rest of the team," he said. "I'm very happy with the attitude.

"We had a number of opportunities to score goals in the first half."

The adjustments will try to accommodate Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who has been largely ineffective in the first two group matches - uninspiring draws against Bolivia and Colombia.

Batista is expected to move Messi into the role of attacking midfielder with Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria alongside. The lone striker is expected to be Gonzalo Higuain.

Argentina must beat Costa Rica in the final Group A match to guarantee itself a place in the quarterfinals. The top two teams in each of the three groups advance automatically, with the best two third-place teams also advancing.

Failing to advance would be seen as a national disaster in Argentina, which has won the World Cup twice and views itself as one of the world's top half-dozen football nations. On top of this, Costa Rica is fielding what amounts to its second team, and Argentina has not won any major international title in 18 years.

Batista's changes will leave out Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who started alongside Messi in the first two matches. In two matches, Argentina has scored only one goal and has seldom looked organised or threatening.

"We are rebuilding and I am confident we can get it done." Batista said. "We are redoing the system so that Messi can be the playmaker with the forwards."

Batista is also expected to make changes in midfield, bringing in Fernando Gago with Esteban Cambiasso and Ever Bangeta headed to the bench.

The newspaper La Nacion in its headline on Sunday described the changes as: "A Team For The Flea." Messi is nicknamed La Pulga - The Flea - in Spanish.

Argentina has been seen as the great favorite to win the Copa America. It is the host team and has Messi, while Brazil - its great South America rival - is fielding an inexperienced team. Brazil has won the last two Copa Americas, beating Argentina in the final both times, and has won four of the last five titles.

Costa Rica is fielding what amounts to its 'B' team. Mexico and Costa Rica are each playing as guests in the tournament, members of the CONCACAF region. Both nations fielded their top teams in the Gold Cup tournament in June in the United States.

Costa Rica coach Ricardo La Volpe, who was born in Argentina, has asked his players not to request autographs from Messi before the match. It happened in March when Argentina played a friendly match in Costa Rica to open the country's new stadium.

"I've told them," La Volpe said. "Let's hope when the match ends we can trade shirts, or whatever."

"I imagine that a lot of my guys ... would like to be like Messi," he added.

Japan was scheduled to play as a guest team, but withdrew after the 11 March earthquake and tsunami and was replaced by Costa Rica.

Messi has struggled to match his Barcelona form at international level in disappointing draws against Bolivia and Colombia, but Maradona says the whole Argentina team has been poor.

"I want to defend Messi," he told Ole.

"The national team didn't attack at all (in the 0-0 draw with Colombia) and we blame him; we are being very unfair to Messi when I hear all those idiots slamming him."

Maradona revealed he had spoken to the 24-year-old and also compared the situation to his own problems prior to the 1986 World Cup.

"I spoke to him during the week and I told him to remain calm," he said.

"Before the 1986 World Cup I was a disaster and I was criticised by 80% of the journalists (in Argentina). Later, there wasn't one who didn't ask me for a story, so I can understand what's going on."

Maradona also took the opportunity to send a message of support to Argentina's players, but not to the team's coaching staff or officials.

"I wish the best in the world to all of the boys who were with me at the World Cup and all of the other players," he said.

"But not to the others."

Messi has been struggling to find his dazzling club form with an Argentina side desperately missing his magic so far at the Copa America.

"To achieve true greatness, Messi also must play for the national side as he does for Barcelona," says Bebeto.

"Barcelona and Argentina are different.

"There they have been playing together for a long while and everything comes more easily. They have Xavi, Iniesta - with Argentina I don't know what is happening," said Bebeto.

Brazil's fifth all-time scorer with 39 goals told Argentina daily Clarin that Messi was seeing far less of the ball than with Barca and 'this is a major error'.

As a result, the albiceleste, seeking to prevent a Brazilian Copa hat-trick, is struggling to look the part and draws with Bolivia and Colombia have left it needing to beat Costa Rica in its final group match to reach the quarter-finals on home soil.

Clarin was keen to draw comparisons between Messi and Argentina's previous world-beating number 10, Diego Maradona, who starred in its 1986 World Cup win.

"Which of the two is better? Messi still has much to do," said Bebeto, who is involved in social projects to help deprived children through football, 'which is a hugely powerful instrument of social inclusion'.

Bebeto, who treasures a shirt Maradona gave him after one encounter, believes the latter is still very much the yardstick for Messi to look up to.

"It is very difficult to see Messi being better than Maradona was.

"To see Maradona play was a truly impressive spectacle, the way he dominated the ball, the way he passed - incredible quality. He treated the ball with love with affection, a special magic ...

"You cannot ask for so much of Messi - he is only 23, still very young.

"In the game of today he makes the difference and is the best there is. But he's different from Maradona - Maradona was magical, beautiful. I stopped whatever I was doing to watch him while he was with Napoli.

"He was impressive - Maradona is on a level with Pele.

"We shall have to see if Messi can become what Maradona was."

Media were all agog after veteran Javier Zanetti dismissed as 'normal' a verbal altercation between defender Nicolas Burdisso and Messi after Burdisso blasted the Barca man for in his view shirking defensive duties.

Fans, meanwhile, are complaining loudly about not seeing anything of his usual attacking spark.

Argentina fans have long pondered why Messi just cannot produce his Barcelona form for his country - and many see him as having become a naturalised Catalan having joined Barca as a young teen.

After Burdisso used some choice words in Messi's direction, the latter's father Jorge spoke on his son's behalf while a pop singer also penned a paean to the striker.

"Leo is having a really tough time," said Jorge Messi. "The people can think what they like but what hurts most is what the media say. They are throwing oil on the fire," he told Radio 10.

Jorge Messi shrugged off the Burdisso incident but said that Leo was mortified to hear the home fans boo the side off after the draw in Santa Fe with Colombia which left the host needing to beat Costa Rica to advance from the pool phase.

"That was really hard," said Messi senior.

Popular singer Andres Calamaro meanwhile penned a paean to Messi on his website, saying that 'we (the fans) don't deserve you'.

Calamaro wrote: "Everyone speaks about the team and then they crucify you. We don't deserve you. You just play your game which has won you everything."

Calamaro and Messi are good friends, the player having once given the singer a Barcelona shirt he had worn against Real Madrid.

"We want to see you play well and scoring goals. Go Leo!" said Calamaro.

Messi has failed to have any impact as the host has drawn dismally with Bolivia and then Colombia to compromise hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

But Barcelona teammate Mascherano insists that the whole squad must look at themselves.

"In reality the form of each individual is not that great and obviously that affects the group but that does not mean Argentina are playing poorly on account of Messi. On the contrary," Mascherano insisted at a news conference.

"We are not playing well as a group, each one of is not performing well."

Mascherano, speaking to reporters at the team camp at Ezeiza just outside Buenos Aires, said the team was well aware it had to do better after looking like strangers to one another in its matches to date.

"We know everything is in our hands and we have to correct many of the things we have been doing badly in the opening two games. But we have faith in ourselves still that we can improve and that we will win on Monday to go through as this is like a final for us."

Argentina will take on Costa Rica and will likely have to win to guarantee progression after the 'Ticos' beat Bolivia to move a point clear of the host.

Colombia, who next faces the Bolivians, tops the group with four points.

Although Sergio Batista's men did the majority of the running, Los Cafetoros had the better of the chances, with Dayro Moreno guilty of a shocking miss midway through the first half.

The point leaves Colombia in a healthy position at the head of the group on four points, with Argentina second with two. However, a win for either Bolivia or Costa Rica in their clash will leave La Albiceleste needing a win from its final game to qualify.

Moreno scraped a free-kick wide in the early stages, before his cross found Gustavo Ramos almost under the crossbar, but the striker somehow spooned the ball over.

If his miss was bad, then Moreno's in the 26th minute was even worse.

Gabriel Milito's backpass was woefully short and allowed Ramos in. He managed to skip round keeper Sergio Romero and, although he was then bundled over by Nicolas Burdisso, the ball fell to Moreno eight yards out and with an open goal in front of him.

However, he somehow contrived to sidefoot wide, spurning his side's best chance of the match in the process.

After that Argentina came into the game, with Ezequiel Lavezzi being denied by Luis Martinez after Lionel Messi's precise throughball.

Manchester City's wantaway striker Carlos Tevez saw a shot drag wide after the break, while Pablo Armero flashed a drive across the Argentina goal.

Porto's Falcoa then tested Romero after breaking through, but there would be no goal, leaving Colombia as the happier of the two sides.

Lionel Messi and company, desperate to win a first major trophy for their country in 18 years, endured a torrid first 90 minutes in Friday's opener which left fans frustrated, though they were cheered up by the fact that arch-rival and title holder Brazil was unable to do any better against Venezuela.

Messi must lay to rest questions as to why he cannot find his Barcelona form when playing for Argentina.

Coach Sergio Batista is not worried about his decision to persevere both with the Barca man and Carlos Tevez in attack.

"The idea is for Lionel to link with Banega, (Esteban) Cambiasso and Tevez, and find a way through with Lavezzi," says Batista, who insists his recipe will be palatable in the end.

Tevez, overshadowed by substitute and potential Manchester City replacement Sergio Aguero's fine equaliser against the Bolivians, agrees and says Argentina knows what it has to do.

"I think this match will be easier for us. We have to think about ourselves more than about Colombia," he said.

Colombia coach Hernan Dario 'Bolillo' Gomez said there was no point in trying to man mark Messi.

"I don't know how to go about marking Messi and that's the truth. We have our way of doing things, we have our system ... the way we work is all about the ball and we mark the ball," he said.

A Colombia change will see Carlos Sanchez of Valenciennes come in for Tolima's Gustavo Bolivar.

Bolivia faces Costa Rica on Thursday (Friday AEST) and the 'Ticos', who meet Argentina in Monday's final Group A game, know a second defeat will likely mean their exit.

Batista is expected to attack again on Wednesday through Messi and Tevez, with support from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Ever Banega.

The problem is: Messi and Tevez have seldom played well together and notably didn't in the opening 1-1 draw with Bolivia.

Batista can't bench Messi. Tevez, the most popular player in Argentina, is also untouchable.

That puts Batista under non-stop scrutiny, with Argentina hosting the Copa America and expected to win the tournament for its first major title in 18 years.

"Pay attention to Argentina because it's a sleeping giant that can wake up at any minute," Colombia star forward Falcao Garcia said.

Everyone has an opinion on why Messi hasn't produced for Argentina. Many believe it's because Messi has often been forced to drop into midfield to receive the ball.

That happened often against Bolivia.

"Messi played too far back and this can't happen again," Batista said. "Everyone can't be in front of Messi."

Sergio Aguero scored Argentina's goal in the opener, coming off the bench to replace Lavezzi. Angel Di Maria, Batista's first choice until Tevez rejoined the team, came on for Esteban Cambiasso.

"Leo (Messi) is relaxed," Aguero said. "People expect he can win the game by himself. But there are 11 of us on the field."

Tevez was left out of the Argentina team after he declined to play against Brazil in a friendly late last year in Doha, Qatar.

He rejoined last month when Batista, under public pressure, called him up again and gave him a starting role in place of Di Maria.

Colombia leads Group A with three points after defeating Costa Rica 1-0 in its opener. No matter what the outcome is in Santa Fe, both Colombia and Argentina will still be expected to make the quarter-finals.

Costa Rica is fielding a youth team at the tournament and few expects it to reach the knockout stage.

Quinteros made the observation to Santa Cruz daily El Deber after looking back at his side's surprise 1-1 draw in its Copa opener with the host.

"I am Argentinian but I have to admit we are very suburban and some think they are winners before the fact," said Quinteros.

Quinteros was born in the northeastern city of Santa Fe but was naturalised a Bolivian in time to feature for the Andeans at the 1994 World Cup.

Messi has often been criticised in his homeland for failing to show his superlative Barcelona form in the national side and the media even question his loyalty to a country which he left for Catalonia as a young teen.

But Julio Grondona told Radio Del Plata: "Messi always plays well, never badly - which is what the others around him were doing."

Coach Sergio Batista had sent out an attacking side to beat the Bolivians but Messi and strike partner Carlos Tevez drew a blank and it was left to sub Sergio Aguero to rescue a point at La Plata.

For Grondona, Messi was forced to forage too deep.

"As the ball did not get through to Messi he had to drop back to pick it up," Grondona complained.

But he also noted that it is 'difficult to start off against a team which has nothing to lose'.

Now Argentina has to chase early Group A leader Colombia, which it meets on Wednesday in Santa Fe before going up against special guest Costa Rica.

The Bolivians might have shocked the albiceleste in a World Cup qualifier two seasons ago with a 6-1 win in La Paz - but that was at high altitude.

In La Plate on Friday, there could be no excuses as Edivaldo Rojas gave the Bolivians a deserved whiff of a first win on Argentinian soil after 11 losses before Sergio Aguero rescued a point with a crisp late volley.

"They put men behind the ball, parked the bus and we could not find a way through," admitted Messi, who despite his heroics with Barcelona in scoring over 50 goals last season has never quite reached the heights when he has donned the national shirt.

"It's not what we were hoping for and we are sad.

"Now we know the matches we have to come in the group (against Colombia and Costa Rica) are ones we just have to win," he added.

Bolivia was determined not to be the fall guy in Group A and this draw means it can also hope to get through from the group phase.

Meanwhile, Messi said Argentina must go back to the drawing board and 'see what we did well and sift through what we did badly and so try to get back to winning ways.

"We must keep calm. We haven't started off as well as we hoped but now we simply must up our game in the coming matches."

Aguero said he had to credit Bolivia's fighting spirit.

"Now we have to do a bit better as they made it hard for us though I thought we started off all right before they got the goal," said the Atletico Madrid striker and son-in-law of former Argentina coach Diego Maradona, who dedicated his goal, as ever, to his family.

Argentina's other attacking spearhead, Carlos Tevez, warned, meanwhile, that Argentina had work to do if it did not want to fall flat on its face as it seeks to end a barren trophy run stretching back to the 1993 win it managed in Ecuador.

"We knew this would be a tough Copa," said the Manchester City forward.

"We need to keep calm and keep things in perspective as if we lose heart it will be worse for us.

"Today we were short on goals, we didn't gel well in attack or have much mobility but we do know what we are trying to achieve and how we want to approach our game," he insisted.

Argentina, 14 times continental champion - a record it shares with Uruguay, with Brazil having netted just eight but four out of the last five nonetheless - now has five days to plot a way past unpredictable Colombia at Santa Fe before it goes up against Costa Rica, special guest in the absence of original invitee Japan.

"It was not so bad, the team tried to win. A draw is not such a bad result to start off," Banega insisted.

"They hung back and made it almost impossible to score.

"We had a lot of chances but did not put them away.

"We must now put Bolivia behind us."

Javier Pastore, a midfielder left on the bench, added that 'it is not easy to play the first game in Argentina so the pressure was on but we have to keep beavering away'.

The host next meets early group leader Colombia in Santa Fe in a tantalising encounter.

The dropped points were front page news nationwide with home fans demanding a strong showing on home soil as the host chases its first silverware at senior level since a 1993 success in the competition.

The assessment was curt and often brutal.

"Argentina had neither patience, touch nor possession. It was pure confusion," stormed Clarin daily in a pithy editorial.

"They drew 1-1 on a night when they functioned neither as a team nor as individuals."

And once again the knives were being sharpened for Barcelona star and world player of the year Lionel Messi, who has to date never consistently managed to show his club form in the national shirt.

"Messi just didn't manage to make the difference," said broadcaster C5N while 'Down to Earth' was a comment from La Nacion alongside a picture of a doleful Messi on his knees contemplating the pitch.

"The team lacked fluidity," La Nacion added.

Another Clarin editorial noted that Argentina could have no excuses as it failed to lift its historical home record against the battling Bolivians to a perfect 12, Sergio Aguero's stunning late strike rescuing a point after Edivaldo Rojas had scored for the visitor early in the second period.

"Bolivia had no respect for the national side - and almost won," admitted sports paper Ole while Tiempo took time out to praise a shimmering 3-D sound and light show before concluding: "The only thing worth remembering was the inaugural fiesta."

Buenos Aires daily Perfil was even more fed up with the team's failure to make a winning start.

"The Copa America has got off to a flier. Argentina haven't."

But if re-asserting regional dominance would put a big feather in the cap of coach Mano Menezes, both Brazil and its Argentinian host have an eye fixed on the 2014 World Cup.

Given Argentina's failure to land a major trophy at senior level since its 14th Copa triumph in Ecuador in 1993 - six Copas and five World Cups ago - the pressure is mainly on the albiceleste.

Brazil can, in contrast, claim to be moulding a work in progress which is not supposed to go on show until the World Cup itself.

Given the World Cup records in particular of both countries, many believe that the Copa is all about Argentina and Brazil.

But both are acutely aware of at least one side which have tripped them up in the past.

That side is Uruguay, which proved the pick of the continental crop at last year's World Cup finals, outdoing both of its illustrious neighbours by reaching the semi-finals.

It was Uruguay, too, which emphatically rained on Brazil's parade in the 1950 final by winning 2-1 in Rio's Maracana. Brazil may have coloured much of World Cup history yellow since that day - but the wound it suffered all those years ago still festers.

The Uruguayans have also stunned Argentina on more than one occasion - not least in winning the 1916 South American Championship.

With Brazil more preoccupied by the World Cup to the extent it won just three Copas up to 1989 - it was Argentina and Uruguay who slugged it out - and the latter again shocked its host in the 1987 semi-finals, notwithstanding the then World Cup holder boasted a Diego Maradona in his pomp.

Uruguay share the record of Copa wins - 14 - with Argentina, to just eight for Brazil, albeit the Brazilians have won four out of the last five.

Carlos Tevez, who hopes to create a deadly tandem with Lionel Messi in the Argentinian attack, told Clarin newspaper earlier this month after flying back from a successful season with Manchester City that: "I am dying to win the Copa. I played in the last two finals which we lost to Brazil. But now we will have home support behind us and this will be key."

But Brazil will, as ever, be the major threat.

While Argentina has laboured to find a winning formula since the halycon days of Maradona and company, the Selecao has landed the 2002 World Cup triumph and a string of Copa crowns.

Argentina coach Sergio Batista, selected by Argentinian Federation president Julio Grondona to pick up the pieces after the World Cup mauling by Germany last year, can at least point to his 2008 Olympic success while he has also overseen prestigious friendly wins recently against both Spain and Brazil.

But after those matches came losses to Nigeria and Poland and already Batista is in the line of critical fire both from his bosses and the fans.

Real Madrid's wide man Angel Di Maria says that Argentina must ensure it combines to help Messi show his top form.

"We have got to show Argentina have it in us to win the title. That means getting the ball, moving it around and linking up with Leo."

Previous Copas have been the platform for grooming young stars in the making - previous editions saw the likes of Ronaldo and Rivaldo emerge for Brazil.

If the likes of Messi have been around for several years this year will be no different as Brazil looks to its prodigy Neymar, currently of Santos but coveted by a strong of top European clubs, not least Chelsea.

With three years to the World Cup, which coach Menezes says is the chief target, there is time for such talent to be given its head and to blossom despite no qualifiers to test the mettle of its new generation.

Don't miss LIVE coverage of the Copa America next month from the quarter-final stage onwards on SBS ONE and streamed online

Batista on Saturday dropped three Argentina-based players from his provisional team to get down to the limit: Diego Valeri, Enzo Perez and Luciano Monzon.

The host team, Argentina opens play in the Copa America on Friday against Bolivia in La Plata, 60km southeast of Buenos Aires.

Argentina is the favourite to win the South American championship, and also faces Colombia and Costa Rica in Group A.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Juan Pablo Carrizo (River Plate), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar).

Defenders: Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Nicolas Pareja (Spartak Moscow), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow).

Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Ever Banega (Valencia), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid).

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Atletico de Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Diego Milito (Inter Milan).

But after the adrenaline rush of a year-and-a-half under Diego Maradona they will happily bow to the somewhat more pragmatic approach of successor Sergio Batista if their 'albiceleste' can win a record 15th Copa America next month.

Given that the event is on home soil Batista and his charges will be firmly in the spotlight - but if he is a less exuberant character than Maradona he does possess a number of trump cards as he goes about trying to prevent bitter rival Brazil winning its third straight continental crown.

One is that the 48-year-old from Buenos Aires earned respect as a heart-on-sleeve-wearing international midfielder who steadied the defensive ship while Maradona went marauding on the way to 1986 World Cup glory while another is that he started off at Maradona's own nursery side Argentinos Juniors.

A third factor in Batista's favour is that he is utterly shorn of the hype which resolutely stuck to Maradona's coattails during his ultimately ill-fated spell in charge which culminated in last northern summer's quarter-final thrashing by Germany in South Africa.

Appointed first as interim coach Batista can also point to having earned his corn with the under-23 side, which he led to Olympic glory at the 2008 Beijing Games.

With that generation of players maturing he can now show he is the man to take the two-times champion forward, first by acquitting themselves well on home soil starting with group encounters with Bolivia, Colombia and Costa Rica before targeting an assault on a third World Cup success - in Brazil - in three years time.

Brazil itself went 19 years in the comparative wilderness after their epoch-shattering 1970 vintage of Pele and company won the World Cup - it ended the drought with a home Copa success.

Batista will therefore try to take inspiration from the knowledge that in sport form is temporary while class is permanent, hence in the main bad patches ultimately come to an end.

Batista has the advantage over his controversial predecessor of enjoying the backing of the Argentine Football Association's powerful president Julio Grondona, and this week called on fans to give him time to allow his game philosophy to take root.

"We have to get it into the players minds also they must be patient. We must be calm and patient.

"The pressure is on, sure, because we are at home. The pressure is always that much more intense when you are at home. We mustn't think about winning the Copa before going out and playing," warned Batista.

The great unknown about Argentina's current squad is just how to coax the best from world player of the year Lionel Messi, who has blown hot and cold for the national team to date while delivering stellar performances week in, week out with Barcelona.

"You can see he is happy and feels totally at ease with how he fits into the scheme of things," says Batista of La Pulga (the flea).

One of the conundrums Batista, who will name his final 23-man squad on Sunday, has to surmount is the fact that he has, quite apart from Messi, no shortage of firepower.

Not least Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, but also Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid and Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid, Maradona's son-in-law, while Ever Banega of Valencia is also a favoured option.

Asked if Messi and Tevez can link up together Batista says he believes they can - "you have to pick the best players."

Batista says he hopes the home fans will make a positive difference - but not get on the players' backs.

"I hope they will give more support rather than pressure."

Its 2008 Olympics-winning coach Sergio Batista can call on the ultimate ace card in Lionel Messi - even though the Barcelona man has rarely shown his club form in sky blue and white at international level.

But Batista can also turn to Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid and Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid, hence scoring goals ought on paper to be the least of the host's problems.

Then again, there is a school of thought which feels that Tevez and Messi do not comprise a tandem made in heaven - even if Batista insists that 'Carlitos is a key man' while Messi 'feels totally at ease with how he fits into the scheme of things'.

"You have to pick the best players," says Batista, who seemingly has yet to make up his mind 100 percent.

Referring to Messi, he told broadcaster TN on Tuesday that 'we will try to set up a team in which he feels comfortable beyond having a plan B for when he is not there.

"But we have the best player in the world and we have to take advantage of that in sending out players who feel football in a similar manner to him," says Batista.

Against a weaker side such as Albania thrashed on 4-0 in a friendly Argentina was able to keep everybody happy as Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi scored the opener, Messi added the second, Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero netted a third and substitute Tevez completed the rout in injury-time.

But against the likes of Brazil, the albiceleste will be unlikely to afford such space to go on the offensive to such a degree.

As Tevez admitted afterwards: "We can't take that game as indicative of the ones to come - which will be very tough."

Yet Messi says if Argentina, beaten by Brazil in the last two Latin American showpiece finals, go for the jugular it can hope to lift its first major trophy since its 1993 Copa success.

"We have to keep playing in this same vein as we did today whoever we are up against," insisted the Barcelona magician.

"Between Brazil and Argentina, it'll be 50/50 - Argentina can be seen as favourites as they'll be at home but we are also seen as the team to beat as we won the last two editions," Thiago Silva told a media conference in Rio.

But he also forecast that World Cup semi-finalist Uruguay would pose a threat.

"They have a lot of quality - especially when you look at what they served up in South Africa. In our pool, I think Paraguay will be our most dangerous rivals - but we have to respect everyone,"said Thiago Silva, nicknamed 'the Monster' while with Rio outfit Fluminense and who will be playing in his first Copa.

The Brazilians will head out to Argentina on Tuesday in advance of its 3 July opening pool match against Venezuela at La Plata. It then faces Paraguay and Ecuador.

The Copa takes place in Argentina from 1-24 July.

The host has not won the event since 1993.

Argentina was merciless in front of goal and capitalised on a weak Albania side at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi opened the scoring in the fifth minute after good work by Messi. It was his first goal for the Albiceleste.

Argentina dominated the first half but had to wait until the 42nd minute for Barcelona forward Messi to finish inside the near post after Lavezzi's pass.

Before that, Albania's impressive goalkeeper Arjan Beqaj made a couple of fine saves to frustrate the host.

Argentina boss Sergio Batista introduced Tevez, Pablo Zabaleta and Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago for Lavezzi, Marcos Rojo and Lucas Biglia, but Argentina still had to wait until the 74th minute for the third goal.

From Messi's long pass, Sergio Aguero found space in front of substitute keeper Isli Hidi and sent the ball into the back of the net.

Supporters at the Monumental clamoured for a Tevez goal and he did not let them down, slotting home after Aguero unselfishly set him up.

The Manchester City striker told Telefe TV station the game was the best chance for Argentina to build momentum ahead of hosting the Copa America next month.

He said: "This is the best way to warm up. Albania will not be as tough opponents as the ones we'll play against in the Copa America, but we gained confidence.

"I see the team in good shape. I'm happy to be here."

FIFA is investigating heavy betting on a late goal being scored in the match, which Nigeria won 4-1 with an under-strength Argentina side scoring from a dubious penalty in the eighth minute of injury-time.

The two teams also have an agreement to play each other in Dhaka on 6 September, but organisers of that game insist they have no connection with the match in Abuja last week - and that Argentina is contracted to bring a full-strength side including Lionel Messi to the game.

The Bangladesh game has been organised by Indian-based firm Celebrity Management Group, which has also set up a match between Argentina and Venezuela in Kolkata on 2 September.

Bhaswar Goswami, Celebrity Management Group's executive director, told Press Association Sport: "We are looking to raise about 5 million US dollars from the game against Venezuela and around 4 million dollars from the match against Nigeria in Dhaka.

"The full-strength Argentina team will come, including Lionel Messi, we have a contract which mentions all the names."

Goswami said he was concerned about the news that FIFA is to investigate last week's match.

He added: "We had nothing to do with last week's match, we only operate in Asia, but we heard about the news earlier this week.

"It's very worrying and these things should not have happened but of course we have no control over it - FIFA is looking into it and can take action.

"We are organising these matches in association with the local federations.

"The referees for our matches are being arranged by the Indian football federation and I hope they will use officials from the Asian Football Confederation."

In last week's game, a huge number of bets were suddenly placed in the last five minutes of normal time for another goal to be scored.

The home side was winning 4-0 and referee Ibrahim Chaibou, from Niger, awarded a handball against Nigeria in the eighth minute of injury-time.

Chaibou was also the official at another match under investigation by FIFA - a friendly between Bahrain and a 'fake' Togo side last September.

Musa Amadu, the secretary general of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) said it had specifically requested Chaibou for the Abuja match.

He said: "Chaibou is a respected referee in Africa and has officiated in many international matches, and we always try and use referees from adjoining countries.

"We had no concerns over his history, and if there was anything to suggest that he was not honest and competent to officiate in the game we would not have appointed him.

"This is an unwanted issue because this was our best result in international football."

Known as the 'people's player', Tevez was a surprise addition to the 26-man squad announced last week. Batista had been upset with him for declining to play in a November friendly against Brazil in Doha, Qatar.

The squad will be cut of 22 before Argentina opens the Copa America - the South American championship - with a match against Bolivia on 1 July. Tevez is widely expected to make the final 22.

"I know that I'm there because of the people," Tevez said. "I saw myself being left out."

Tevez played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and is likely to be used in the Copa America as a substitute.

Batista acknowledged several weeks ago that he had left Tevez out of recent national team selections because he was upset over comments the player had made to several of Batista's assistant coaches. Batista did not elaborate.

After slipping to a 4-1 loss against Nigeria in midweek, Argentina was hoping to recover its form in Warsaw but came unstuck again to goals from Adrian Mierzejewski and Pawel Brozek.

The visitor replied through Marco Ruben, but too many defensive mistakes proved costly for a young side missing key names such as Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Javier Pastore, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain.

Mierzejewski opened the scoring for Franciszek Smuda's side in the 25th minute. The midfielder picked up the ball in the box and fired home a left-footed strike.

Eight minutes later, Nicolas Bertolo created Argentina's first real chance when he teed up Ruben, who managed to get in a shot but saw Rafal Murawski save very close to the goal line.

Argentina coach Sergio Batista made three substitutions at the start of the second half, with Emiliano Insua, Fernando Belluschi and Jonathan Bottinelli coming on for Federico Fazio, Pablo Zabaleta and Bertolo.

The visitor responded immediately to the changes and Ruben equalised within a minute of the restart after a nice assist by Pablo Piatti with his heel.

However, in the 67th minute, substitute Brozek, who had replaced Kamil Grosicki 12 minutes earlier, scored what proved to be the winner after an assist from Jakub Blaszczykowski.

It was another disappointing result for Argentina in its preparations for next month's Copa America, which it hosts.

Its final warm-up game will be against Albania on 20 June, while Poland takes on France in Warsaw on Thursday evening (Friday morning AEST).

The Manchester City defender captained his country in the 4-1 loss to the Super Eagles and does not want the team to repeat such a poor result.

"The group has been affected by the defeat. We have been criticised a lot, but in difficult moments we must be strong," Zabaleta said.

"We have a very important match ahead and we can recover our form as a team and as a group."

Argentina is warming up for the Copa America on home soil next month.

In order to test some players, coach Sergio Batista called up an under-25 squad for the Nigeria and Poland matches as he builds towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The boss was angry with Polish journalists who criticised him for having not named the most important stars: "No player of my team came to Warsaw to go for a walk. This is a lack of respect to them.

"Most of the players in this squad play in Europe. This is my decision. This is a project towards 2014. Maybe some players are not starting at their club teams, but I know they have what it takes."

Poland coach Franciszek Smuda is taking Argentina seriously in spite of the absentees.

"They are not worldwide-known, but most of them play in European teams so it proves their quality," he said.

"We know Argentina are always a strong team, but they should respect our team too. If they feel overconfident, they may be surprised by our football."

Nigeria ran out 4-1 winners against a largely second-string Argentinian side in the friendly encounter in Abuja.

Ike Uche scored twice and Victor Obinna once to put the hosts three up at the break, while Emmanuel Emenike made it four in the second half.

Argentina got on the scoreboard eight minutes into injury time - only five having been signalled - when Joseph Yobo was penalised for a handball by referee Ibrahim Chaibou of Niger, and Mauro Boselli scored from the penalty spot.

It is claimed a high number of bets were placed for there to be another goal with the score at 4-0.

FIFA said in statement released to the Daily Telegraph: "FIFA can confirm that this match between Nigeria and Argentina was one that we had an active interest in, and forms part of a wider ongoing FIFA investigation."

The assailant was among a throng of people looking for autographs from the Barcelona star, a witness told Argentine TV. It was not clear if the punch landed, or what the intent was. Messi went on signing autographs.

"There was a crush of people waiting outside," Pablo Moyano, who was working in the restaurant, told Argentine TV. "There were kids, reporters, photographers waiting ... and one of the kids tried to punch him. I don't know if he pulled it off. He went running afterward."

Witnesses said the suspect was dressed in the uniform of a school a few streets away.

Messi arrived in Rosario, about 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Buenos Aires, this week for a holiday before practice starts next week for the Copa America - the South American championship.

Nigeria's best result before this was a 0-0 draw with Argentina at the 1995 King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup), with the South Americans winners on three different occasions.

The host dominated this game from start to finish and Argentina, effectively a second-string side missing several first-choice stars and led by Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta, was never really in it and hardly threatened the Nigerian goal.

Real Zaragoza striker Ikechukwu Uche netted a brace to continue his superb form in front of goal, with new Fenerbahce signing Emmanuel Emenike scoring his first goal for the Eagles on 53 minutes.

Emenike, 24, made up for an earlier miss after coming on as a second-half substitute with a cool finish inside the box when he ran onto a long ball and lobbed over the goalkeeper.

Obinna Nsofor was also on target from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after Everton striker Victor Anichebe was fouled inside the box.

Argentina grabbed a consolation goal from the penalty spot courtesy of Mauro Boselli after Efe Ambrose was adjudged to have handled the ball deep into stoppage time.

"We did very well. We started well, we gained confidence with the early goal and we could have scored more goals," said man of the match Uche.

"This result will help us to prepare for Sunday's game (vs Ethiopia, 2012 Nations Cup qualifier). It will lift our confidence and we will keep working very hard to keep making the fans happy."

His skipper Joseph Yobo concurred.

"It's a very good result for us. We now have a lot of confidence going to Ethiopia. We are going there to win the game," he said.

Nigeria is under pressure to win in Addis Ababa on Sunday to stay in touch with Group B leader Guinea.

Messi arrived in Buenos Aires on Tuesday and said the 'most important thing now' was to win the continental tournament, which begins 1 July with Argentina facing Bolivia. The final is 24 July, with Argentina and Brazil the favourites.

Messi was the man of the match in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final, but he has had limited success with the Argentine national team.

"The most important thing now is to get the Copa America," Messi told reporters at Buenos Aires airport.

"I've had the luck to win everything with Barcelona, win everything as an individual and my goal now is go win things for the Argentine national team."

Argentina, then coached by Diego Maradona, was demolished 4-0 by Germany in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals and Messi was no factor, often isolated in midfield without the ball.

Maradona has since been replaced by Sergio Batista as coach who, despite admitting problems between himself and Tevez, named the Manchester City forward in a 26-man squad.

Provisional Argentina squad for the Copa America

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Juan Pablo Carrizo (River Plate), Mariano Andujar (Catania).

Defenders: Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Nicolás Burdisso (Roma), Javier Zanetti (Inter), Nicolas Pareja and Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Luciano Monzon (Boca Juniors).

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Ever Banega (Valencia), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Diego Valeri (Lanús), Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes de La Plata), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid).

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ángel Di María, Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Atlético Madrid), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Diego Milito (Inter Milan).

Batista will have to reduces his squad to 22 after the final Copa America warm-up games later this month.

Tuesday's statement from AFA was its first in writing since former national coach Diego Maradona charged last week in a TV interview that Argentine players were given 'speedy coffee' to perform better, and that AFA president Julio Grondona did away with doping controls for the matches.

The statement did not address Maradona's key charge about stimulants being offered.

In a statement titled 'The honour of everyone is saved', AFA said doping tests at the time were required only during the World Cup itself. It said all Argentines involved followed the rules 'to the letter of the law'.

Maradona and Grondona have been feuding publicly since last year's World Cup, when Grondona declined to renew Maradona's contract as national coach. It was Grondona who hired Maradona, despite his lack of coaching experience when he took the job.

The statement did not mention Maradona.

Grondona acknowledged last week there were no doping controls, partly to protect some players.

"A small personal controversy has been generated in recent days, when an ex-player believed that with his inexact words and bad intentions he could damage - or attempt to damage - the dramatic qualification against Australia."

Grondona said last week there was an agreement with Australia to prevent drug testing. However, Ian Holmes, who was the Australia federation chief in 1993, has said there was no such agreement.

Argentina drew the first match in Sydney 1-1 and won the return 1-0 in Buenos Aires to secure a berth in the 1994 tournament.

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Maradona was suspended for testing positive for stimulants after a first-round match against Nigeria. FIFA subsequently suspended him for 15 months.

Grondona is in Zurich for Wednesday's FIFA presidential election, which has been overshadowed by bribery allegations against two executive committee members - Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Grondona, 79, has been an executive committee member since 1988 and is listed as a senior vice-president. He is the only one of eight FIFA vice-presidents to carry that title.

Grondona is also the chairman of FIFA's finance committee. Warner and Bin Hamman are also members.

"Grondona told us a week beforehand we could take the substance we wanted as there was to be no anti-doping control," 1986 World Cup winner Maradona told Argentine radio station Metro.

Grondona said earlier this week that doping controls were deliberately overlooked so as to prevent Maradona, who served a 15-month suspension in 1991 for taking cocaine, fouling foul of a test.

Former Australian football officials have angrily denied being party to any deal to prevent drug testing before the play-off, which saw Argentina go through to the 1994 finals over two legs.

At the ensuing 1994 World Cup, he would additionally test positive for ephedrine.

Then Australian federation chief executive Ian Holmes insisted no deal to drop the controls was ever discussed with his side, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that "quite frankly, we would never have agreed to that kind of an arrangement."

Former Argentina defender Jorge Borelli and former midfielder Hugo Perez have denied Maradona's claim - but the latter accused them of only "playing Grondona's game."

Maradona said: "I don't know who took what. The only thing I know is that I went walking around the whole of Australia with (former wife) Claudia until eight o'clock in the morning and that various others couldn't get to sleep, I don't know why."

Maradona has several times hit out at Grondona, head of the Argentine federation since 1979, since the former was forced out as national coach following last summer's World Cup finals, dubbing him "old" and "corrupt".

Julio Grondona, president of the Argentine Football Association, said this week that doping controls were deliberately overlooked after a deal was struck with the Australian Soccer Federation on the eve of the matches.

However, Football New South Wales general manager Ian Holmes, who was the ASF chief executive in 1993 when the matches were held, said no deal was ever discussed.

"I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is no way in the world that any approach was made to me, the board or the coaching staff - and they would have come straight to us - to make a deal on that issue and, quite frankly, we would never have agreed," he told the Sydney Morning Herald in comments published on Friday.

"On my son's life, I can swear we would not have been a party to such a thing. It's just wrong on every level. Drug testing, in any form, was never discussed before those matches."

Holmes said his focus, as was that of ASF chairman John Constantine and coach Eddie Thomson, 'was purely on winning those bloody matches'.

"Even if they (the AFA) had of come to us with some kind of deal - apart from the fact that it's morally corrupt - we couldn't have even agreed to it because we couldn't control whether ASDA (the Australian Sports Drug Agency) would have turned up anyway."

In Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Grondona told the daily newspaper Clarin that doping controls were done away with during the World Cup qualifying play-offs in a move aimed at protecting Diego Maradona and other players.

Maradona has also charged that players were given a 'speedy coffee' to perform better during the play-off.

"Maradona didn't play in other qualifying matches, and he came (into these matches) after having problems with drugs," Grondona said in Clarin.

Argentina drew the first match in Sydney 1-1 and won the return 1-0 in Buenos Aires to secure a berth in the 1994 tournament in the United States.

Maradona and Grondona have been feuding publicly since last year's World Cup, when Grondona declined to renew Maradona's contract as national team coach.

In an earlier interview, Maradona said 'we would not have gone to the World Cup' if there had been doping tests.

At the 1994 World Cup, Maradona was suspended for testing positive for stimulants after a first-round match against Nigeria. FIFA subsequently suspended him for 15 months.

Several of Maradona's team-mates confirmed there were no drug tests for the 1993 matches.

Former Australia captain Paul Wade said in published comments on Wednesday that Argentina was under so much pressure to qualify for the 1994 finals that he would not have been surprised if it had resorted to taking performance-enhancing drugs.

He added he was 'absolutely gutted' after hearing of Maradona's comments.

Speaking after Argentina's 4-2 victory over Paraguay in a friendly, Batista said Tevez's chances to be on the team were 'small'.

Argentina is expected to name its squad for the South American championships next week.

Batista said during a meeting in December with Argentina assistant coaches Carlos Brown and Alejandro Tocalli, Tevez said 'a thing that today has kept him off the team'. Batista did not elaborate.

Batista said just a week ago he had no personal problems with Tevez.

Argentina opens the Copa America on 1 July in a match against Bolivia. Argentina and Brazil are favourites for the tournament, which ends on 24 July.

"Tevez is a great player," Batista said. "I don't want to say he's permanently left out. There are World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup ... today the chances are small."

Fans during the Paraguay match chanted 'Ole, Ole, Ole - Tevez, Tevez' and a handwritten sign in the stadium said: 'Checho (Batista), Tevez is an Argentine'.

Tevez is more popular with Argentine fans than superstar Lionel Messi, who left Argentina for Barcelona as a youth player and has never played with an Argentine club.

Tevez was a star at Boca Juniors and later at Corinthians in Brazil before moving to West Ham United in England.

On Wednesday, Diego Maradona again criticised his predecessor for leaving Tevez off the squad.

Maradona said Tevez was still being punished for skipping a friendly match in November in Qatar against Brazil.

Maradona called Tevez, who plays for Manchester City, 'the people's player' and praised him for being joint-top scorer in England despite 'playing against those orangutans' in the physical Premier League.

Gabriel Hauche scored twice for Argentina, and Federico Fernandez and Enzo Perez added the other goals. Pablo Zeballos and Elvis Marecos scored for Paraguay.

Argentina dominated the first half and took a 3-1 lead after Hauche's goals and one from Fernandez. Marecos made it 3-2 in the 56th minute, but Perez snuffed out any hope of a draw with his goal in the 74th.

Argentina is grouped in the Copa America with Bolivia, Colombia and Costa Rica. Paraguay is in a group with Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela.

Maradona said on Argentine television on Monday that the players were given an unspecified stimulant before the two-legged play-off to decide whether the team would qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.

"What happened is that to play against Australia we were given a speedy coffee. They put something in the coffee and that's why we ran more," Maradona told 'The Football Show'.

Maradona said Argentine Football Association President Julio Grondona knew about the doping.

"Why weren't there any anti-doping controls in the match with Australia if we had them in all the other games?" Maradona asked. "They give you 10 anti-doping controls and only the match that decides whether Argentina will go to the United States or not, there is no anti-doping control. That's the cheat and Grondona knew about it."

Grondona has made no comment.

Argentina drew the first match in Sydney 1-1 and won the return 1-0 in Buenos Aires to secure a berth in the 1994 tournament.

Maradona's team-mates agreed there were no drug tests before the matches but deny consciously taking any illegal substances.

"We knew there wasn't going to be any anti-doping control a few days before, but we didn't attach any importance to it," midfielder Hugo Perez told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "We just concentrated on playing, but what Diego said about there being no control is true."

Perez said it was difficult to give precise details about what happened because it was a long time ago, but remembers the players could drink either water or coffee.

Former defender Jose Chamot said it would be 'illegal' to take illegal substances 'even if there were no anti-doping control'.

"I didn't need those things," Chamot told Libre newspaper on Tuesday. "Sometimes they gave us vitamins as supplements for the journeys, but nothing more than that. If there had been anything to make the team run faster, I didn't participate."

Fellow defender Jorge Borelli told the newspaper: "I didn't take any 'speedy coffee' ... I just drank tea and soft drinks."

At the 1994 World Cup, Maradona was suspended for testing positive for stimulants after a first-round match against Nigeria.

Although Maradona's footballing prowess was on the wane and his drug problem was an open secret, Argentina lost its last-16 match against Romania and was eliminated.

FIFA subsequently banned Maradona for 15 months.

The feud between Maradona and Grondona first erupted when Grondona decided not to renew Maradona's contract as Argentina coach after the 2010 World Cup.

Maradona called for the 79-year-old, who has led the AFA for 32 years, to retire and make way for younger candidates.

"I'm old, but healthy," Grondona was quoted as saying. "Not like others who aren't (healthy) and not because of natural problems, but because of created problems."

Those comments infuriated Maradona, who interpreted them as thinly veiled references to his much-publicised battle with drugs.

Maradona claimed he has been clean for more than seven years and pledged to sue Grondona.

He also admonished the Argentine government under Cristina Fernandez for protecting Grondona because of a television deal with the AFA to broadcast national league matches for free.

Argentine cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez rejected the idea that Grondona had any special protection. "Nobody is looking after anybody," he said on Monday.

Maradona - who was coach of the national team between 2008 and 2010 - said on Argentine television channel America that he believes the Manchester City forward is being punished for missing a friendly against Brazil in Qatar last year.

Argentina won the match 1-0 with a goal from Lionel Messi.

"They punished Tevez for not presenting the scan or the opinion of the Manchester doctor for the match against Brazil," Maradona said.

Tevez, joint top scorer in the English Premier League with 20 goals, missed the match claiming he had an injury, but played a few days later for his club. Since then, Argentina coach Sergio Batista has not selected him.

"You can't doubt Tevez. Who else apart from (Gabriel) Batistuta scored goals like this?" Maradona said. "Tevez fights against orangutans (strong defenders) in the Premier League and beats them - and he's the top scorer. Why punish him if he's the people's player?"

Batista said he has no personal problems with Tevez, but has preferred to use forwards such as Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid.

Batista said it would be "difficult" for Tevez to break into the Copa America squad, but denied he had been discarded and said he might play in next season's FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Maradona made the accusation on Argentine television and accused FIFA vice-president Julio Grondona, the head of Argentina's Football Association, of knowing about the doping.

"Why weren't there any anti-doping controls in the match with Australia if we had them in all the other games?" Maradona asked during an interview on The Football Show.

"They give you 10 anti-doping controls and only the match that decides whether Argentina will go to the United States or not, there is no anti-doping control.

"That's the cheat and Grondona knew about it.

"What happened is that to play against Australia we were given a speedy coffee. They put something in the coffee and that's why we ran more."

Grondona had no immediate comment over Maradona's claims.

After drawing with Australia in Sydney, Argentina won 1-0 in the second leg in Buenos Aires to advance to the tournament in the United States, from which Maradona was later sent home after testing positive for drugs.

The ongoing feud between the two erupted when Grondona decided not to renew Maradona's contract as Argentina coach after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Maradona reacted angrily to comments the 80-year-old Grondona made last week that were seen as veiled references to his much-publicised battle with drugs.

After Maradona suggested the AFA president should retire, Grondona was quoted as saying: "I'm old but healthy," noting that others had "created problems" for themselves.

Maradona said Grondona has long been perfectly aware of drug use in football.

"We took whatever the doctor gave us," Maradona said.

"To go to the World Cup, we'd have taken even orange juice.

"I'm saying it now because Grondona talks about drugs as if he didn't know anything about drugs in football and the sickness I suffered."

Maradona went on to insinuate that the Argentine government under President Cristina Fernandez was protecting Grondona because of a television deal with the AFA to broadcast national league matches for free.

"I'm not asking the president to fire him, I'm saying there should be changes," Maradona said.

"Given all the barbarities that Grondona does, because he's old or because his time has passed, if the government keeps backing him then they are wrong."

Argentine cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez rejected the idea that Grondona had any special protection.

Tevez has just won the FA Cup in England and is the Premier League's joint top scorer with 21 goals but is out of favour with the national team.

"There's absolutely no personal problem with Carlos," Batista said on Thursday. "If I had a problem I would say that Carlos is out forever."

Despite acknowledging the 27-year-old forward, who scored twice in City's league win against Stoke last start, was playing well, Batista said he was unlikely to make the squad for the South American championship in July.

"For the Copa America it's difficult, but he's not ruled out, I don't rule out anybody," Batista said, adding Tevez may be called up for the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Diego Maradona, Batista's predecessor as Argentina coach, said a person would have to "be drunk or stoned" to leave out Tevez.

The player himself has expressed puzzlement over his exclusion.

"I have known for a while that there will be no Copa America for me," he told Ole.

"Seeing the coach go to all those countries to chat with players and not going through England makes it clear.

"On top of that he hasn't called, I called him and he didn't pick up... a lot of things make me think I will not be there.

"I was hoping though, and I am still hoping, to be given a reason. Only that, because you have to respect the coach's wishes.

"If it is for football reasons, that is fine with me. I cannot do anything, but I want to know why."

"I don't know if Tevez called me, honestly. I'm going to talk to him in the next few days and then we'll see," Batista said.

The Argentina coach said Tevez was surplus to requirements because his tactics favoured attackers such as Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain and Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.

Batista said he was disappointed with Maradona's comments: "I'm upset with Diego because of the respect thing. The lack of respect upsets me."

Maradona played alongside Batista in Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning squad and again four years later when the side reached the final.

Sergio Batista said Tevez was not required because he had players like Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain who played in the same position.

Maradona, who agreed to a deal on Monday to coach Dubai team Al Wasl, told the TyC sports channel on Wednesday that a person would have to be 'drunk or stoned' not to call up Tevez and said Messi was a different type of player.

Maradona took Argentina to the World Cup quarter-finals last year, but lost 4-0 to Germany.

Argentina hosts the Copa America in July.

Batista has given some players, such as Mateo Musacchio, their debut for the national team, while others like Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and Real Madrid's Ezequiel Garay have been recalled.

Argentina faces Nigeria in Abuja on June 1 before travelling to Warsaw to meet Poland four days later.

Squad: Oscar Ustari (Getafe), Adrian Gabbarini (Independiente); Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Federico Fazio (Sevilla), Emiliano Insua (Galatasaray), Marcos Angeleri (Sunderland), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal); Fernando Belluschi (Porto), Alejandro Cabral (Legia Warsaw), Mario Bolatti (Internacional), Nicolas Bertolo (Zaragoza), Diego Perotti (Sevilla), Mauro Formica (Blackburn), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Alberto Costa (Valencia); Jonathan Cristaldo (Metalist), Pablo Piatti (Almeria), Marco Ruben (Villarreal), Franco Jara (Benfica), Mauro Boselli (Genoa).

Maradona spent the weekend in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with Al Wasl club officials to sign a deal that will reportedly keep him at the club for two years.

"We have reached an agreement with Maradona and we will release details later," the club's vice-chairman Marwane Ben Bayatt said.

The former Argentina midfielder claims Messi is similar to fellow countryman Maradona - except better.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Ardiles, who helped nurture Maradona for the national side, said: "I think there is only one player you can compare with Messi, and that is Maradona, and in many ways they are very similar.

"But for some time I have thought that Diego could never be surpassed, and nor could Pele, but no longer. I would now say that Lionel Messi will go down in history as the number one player of all time, the best that there ever was.

"The big difference is that Maradona played in Argentina, then in Italy, while Pele stayed in Brazil, and during their time the pressures were less intense than they are now.

"Messi is under pressure all the time, and has to play in incredibly high intensity games all of the time, the Champions League being the perfect example."

Ardiles was speaking after being appointed manager of the Argentine Legends for the Football 40 brand, which kicks off its first public tournament at Craven Cottage on May 29 with 40-minute matches between Tottenham v Arsenal and Chelsea v Fulham, and the winners playing a final.

Michael Quinonez opened the scoring for Ecuador in the 26th minute.

Claudio Yacob equalised for Argentina in the 32nd and Gabriel Hauche made it 2-1 for Argentina three minutes later.

Segundo Castillo scored the equaliser for Ecuador within a penalty.

The continental championship, the Copa America, opens on July 1 in Argentina.

Nani is enjoying his best season to date since joining the Premier League leader and he is hoping to replicate his performances for his country.

"I think I've been doing well this season for my national team and I hope to do much better, the best moment is now," he said.

His former United team-mate Ronaldo has been ruled out of the forthcoming double-header against Chile and Finland and the team, under coach Paulo Bento, will be looking for a better performance than it produced in its previous friendly against Argentina.

Visiting Chile is on an unbeaten run that stretches back to a 2-1 defeat in Ukraine at the start of September, its last friendly was a 1-1 draw against the United States.

Korea Republic meanwhile will start planning for the future without Nani's Manchester United team-mate Park Ji-sung, who announced his international retirement after the Asian Cup.

Honduras is the visitor to Seoul this weekend and South Korea manager Cho Kwang-rae has highlighted finding a replacement for Park as a vital part of the match.

"I am thinking about using Kim Bo-kyong," he said.

"He didn't play at the Asian Cup but he has been looking good in training. Physically he is strong and I have high expectations of him."

Kim was also a non-playing member of the 2010 World Cup squad, and whilst he acknowledges the game against Honduras as a chance for him to get into the team, he isn't looking at himself as a replacement for Park.

"Nobody can take the place of Park Ji-sung in the team but I will do the best I can," said Kim.

"This game is a great opportunity. I don't know when the next one will come around so I want to play with no regret and try to show my ability."

FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is part of the Argentina squad which has travelled to New Jersey to play the USA and ahead of Saturday's (Sunday AEDT) game he has received glowing praise from both managers.

Argentina coach Sergio Batista believes his talismanic playmaker will go down as one of the greatest players of all time.

"Messi is on the way to becoming the best footballer in history," he said.

"If one looks into the future, Lionel has everything. Maradona was one of the greatest, without a doubt. But Messi right now is the best in the world, and we have to take advantage of that."

Even USA coach Bob Bradley reserved special praise for the Barcelona star.

"Some players are just on the kind of level where you have huge admiration for them above anything else," he said.

"Messi is one of those. Would I pay to watch him? Without a doubt."

Sunday's (Monday AEDT) friendly between Scotland and Brazil will be held at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and Scotland defender Christophe Berra has insisted the team is under no illusions as to the size of the task they face against the five time World Cup winner.

"We're not kidding ourselves - it's going to be a difficult game because they're a better team than us with better individuals, but we want to continue our progress."

Friday (Saturday AEDT) will also see England's Euro 2012 qualifying opponent Montenegro host Uzbekistan after their initial friendly in Japan was cancelled following the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

Elsewhere on Friday Lithuania hosts Poland, Uruguay travels to Estonia and hosts ChinaNew Zealand.

The remainder of Saturday's friendly action sees Panama play Bolivia, Colombia meet Ecuador and Paraguay take on Mexico in California.

Tevez and fellow striker Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid have been left out of a squad named by coach Sergio Batista for friendly matches later this month against the United States and Costa Rica.

Grondona suggested Tevez was not being punished for skipping a friendly in November against Brazil. He was also left out of a squad for last month's 2-1 victory over Portugal.

"Tevez plays a position (striker) where there are lots of players competing and the coach is looking at everybody to decide," Grondona said in an interview on Radio Del Plata.

"The previous conflict about not calling him up is over," he added.

Grondona said he hoped Tevez would be in Argentina's squad for the Copa America, the continental championship which will be played in Argentina from July 1-24.

"I hope to goodness that Tevez is in the Copa America," Grondona added. "This is a kid I have known for years, who has played at all levels for Argentina. How could I not want him there."

Coach Sergio Batista has said there is no reason for the Manchester City striker's omission - only that he wants to see how different players fare. He did not call on Tevez for the international against Portugal last month.

However, Argentinian FA president Julio Grondona claims the move is a punishment after Tevez stepped down from a match against Brazil citing an injury - but played for City only a few days later.

Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero is another key player who will miss the games against USA - on March 26 - and Costa Rica three days later.

There are several newcomers to the squad, goalkeeper Adrian Gabbarini, defender Federico Fazio, midfielder Fernando Belluschi and forward Eduardo Salvio.

Argentina Squad: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Adrian Gabbarini (Independiente); Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Pablo Zabaleta (Man City), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Federico Fazio; Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Jose Sosa (Napoli), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Valencia), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Mario Bolatti (Internacional de Porto Alegre), Fernando Belluschi (Porto); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica).

In a game featuring two of the planet's best players in world player of the year Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, it was the Argentinian who earned the bragging rights as he slotted home a penalty in the final minute.

Angel Di Maria fired Argentina ahead in the 14th minute before Ronaldo levelled things up seven minutes later and the game appeared to be heading for a draw before Messi's intervention.

Portugal attacked early on and Gabriel Milito had to be alert for the South American side to get in ahead of Nani and Hugo Almeida.

However, the Argentina midfield started to take control with Messi spearheading its attacks.

The Barcelona forward headed just wide before crossing for Esteban Cambiasso with Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo called on to intercept.

However, it took less than a quarter-of-an-hour for Messi to unlock the Portugal defence as he moved from the right wing into a central position where he provided a simple, one-on-one opportunity for Di Maria who slotted home.

Just seven minutes later, though, Portugal replied through Ronaldo.

Nani crossed from the left, Almeida got his head to ball and Ronaldo pounced to send it past Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The Real Madrid forward almost scored again just two minutes later but he sent his long-range shot just wide.

Portugal was the better team after the break, Almeida heading narrowly wide from Ronaldo's cross before the former hit the bar and Ronaldo failed to convert the rebound.

Messi replied with a free-kick which substitute goalkeeper Rui Patricio deflected for a corner before the game lost its intensity with a number of substitutions, of which Ronaldo was one.

As a result, Argentina began to dominate, Faustino Rojo just failing to convert Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross before Javier Pastore was close with a header after Messi's free-kick had hit the bar with a little over five minutes to go.

However, Messi was not to be denied and when Argentina was awarded a last-minute penalty the Barca ace sent a shot to the right of the keeper to seal a hard-earned victory.

It was thought Tevez had been left out of Sergio Batista's squad as a favour ahead of this weekend's Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

However, it appears there was a disciplinary measure behind the move.

Tevez missed the Brazil game after claiming he had an injury, only to score twice for City at Fulham just four days later.

And Grondona has indicated Tevez is now serving his punishment.

"I think that Tevez's absence is because of his attitude when he didn't come to play [against Brazil] and shortly after he took the field for his club," Grondona told Radio Pop.

"That attitude didn't go down well with the coaching staff, it was a lot easier to tell us that he didn't want to come."

Longtime club rivals in the UEFA Champions League and Spain, the gifted forwards have never come up against each other on national team duty because the friendly in neutral Switzerland is their countries' first meeting in almost 40 years.

The historic clash arrives with Barcelona's Messi and Real Madrid's Ronaldo locked at the top of the Spanish scoring chart with 24 league goals each.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento downplayed talk of a personal duel between the two most recent winners of FIFA's world player award.

"As far as I'm concerned this is Portugal against Argentina," Bento said.

"It's not about individual rivalry. I doubt whether Ronaldo or Messi see it that way, either."

The last time Ronaldo shared a pitch with Messi, Madrid slumped to a 5-0 defeat against an inspired Barcelona team in November.

Messi's mesmerising play for the Spanish champion helped ensure that last month the 23-year-old Argentine lifted the FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy after being named the best in the world for a second straight year.

Ronaldo had previously had the edge in their rivalry, receiving the FIFA honour for 2008 when Messi was runner-up.

That prize rewarded a 42-goal season leading Manchester United to the Champions League title, including beating Barcelona in the semi-finals.

Messi struck back by starring, and scoring, in the 2009 final that was Ronaldo's last match for United before moving to Madrid.

Organisers say at least 85 countries will broadcast the match live, and the two main attractions warmed to their task at the weekend.

Ronaldo scored twice in Madrid's 4-1 win over Real Sociedad, and Messi hit all three goals in the 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid to extend Barcelona's league winning streak to 16.

Messi also scored in Argentina's last match, a 1-0 victory against Brazil in a November friendly played at Doha, Qatar.

Batista revealed he wanted to test new players ahead of the Copa America - to be played in Argentina this summer and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, although many other big names have been called up.

The coach has called up Boca Juniors goalkeeper Javier Garcia, saying he will be "an option" in the squad for the game on February 9, after Catania keeper Mariano Andujar suffered a small injury that looks likely to force him out of the clash in Geneva, Switzerland.

Argentina squad: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Javier Garcia (Boca Juniors); Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Nicolas Pareja (Spartak Moscow), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona); Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Jose Sosa (Napoli), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Valencia), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Cristian Chavez (Boca Juniors); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Diego Milito (Inter), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Juan Manual Martinez (Velez).

Boca Juniors midfielder Chavez features in a 24-man squad for the game on 9 February, which will be played in Geneva, Switzerland.

Batista was initially expected to call for Estudiantes midfielder Enzo Perez, however that move was aborted.

Estudiantes boss Alejandro Sabella asked the national team coach to release him from Argentina duty as Estudiantes will be preparing for a Copa Libertadores match against Cruzeiro of Brazil in the following week.

Chavez said: "I'm very happy to join the national team. I cannot wait to meet the other players."

The coaching staff and home-based players Chavez and Velez forward Juan Manuel Martinez will fly to Geneva next Thursday.

Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez was not selected as Batista revealed he wanted to test new players ahead of the Copa America - to be played in Argentina - and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Argentina squad: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania); Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Nicolas Pareja (Spartak Moscow), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona); Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Jose Sosa (Napoli), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Valencia), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Cristian Chavez (Boca Juniors); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Diego Milito (Inter), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Juan Manual Martinez (Velez)

In addition to Tevez, coach Sergio Batista omitted Atletico de Madrid forward Sergio Aguero and defenders Martin Demichelis of Malaga and Gabriel Heinze of Marseille. Also missing was Real Madrid's injured forward, Gonzalo Higuain.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who won FIFA's best player award for the second straight season, was selected Monday for the match in Geneva.

Three days later, on another date FIFA has earmarked for official friendlies, the USA will take on another Latin American World Cup quarter-finalist, Paraguay, at Nashville.

US coach Bob Bradley said: "Argentina continues to be one of the most-talented teams in the world, and we are excited to have the opportunity to compete against them. When you talk about the best players around the globe, the Argentines certainly contribute a lot of names to that list."

Regarding Paraguay, he added: "Paraguay showed during the World Cup that they are a creative and organised team capable of being very dangerous in the attack. Both of these matches give us a chance to continue to raise the bar for our team."

Before those games the USA will meet Chile on January 22 before travelling to face Egypt on February 9.

Argentina, limbering up for the July Copa America on home soil, will face Portugal on February 9 in Geneva and have pencilled in a match on March 29 against Costa Rica in San Jose.

The Argentina legend, who stepped down as boss of his country, has already had discussions with Blackburn and his revelation will doubtless lead to speculation it is Rovers he plans to see.

"In February, I am going to England to listen to a firm offer," Maradona was quoted as saying at a press conference by La Nacion.

"If they convince me, I may take it up.

"I am not desperate, I know that someday I will coach another team."

Blackburn have been without a permanent manager since sacking Sam Allardyce last month and have placed Steve Kean in charge until the end of the season.

Owners Venky's, who bought Rovers in November, admitted their interest in Maradona shortly after dismissing Allardyce.

Chairwoman Anuradha Desai said at the time: "We thought about Maradona as a coach after we took over.

"Talks were at the initial stage then, but there is no development on that front yet.

"For now, the current coach will be the manager until the end of the season.

"There is no question of signing anyone for such a short time."

Maradona was also in London in November to watch Fulham's Premier League match against Manchester City.

The 50-year-old left his job as manager of Argentina following its 4-0 World Cup thrashing by Germany.

It will be the second time each side has played at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Argentina lost 3-0 to Brazil in September 2006, while Portugal beat the same opponent 2-0 five months later.

The match could feature the world's two best players in Argentina striker Lionel Messi and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis says it "is a fantastic opportunity for football lovers in the UK to watch some of the world's best players."

Arsenal has hosted a total five internationals since its 60,355-seat stadium opened in July 2006.