DALLAS: With their debut World Cup all but over, Jordan have nothing to lose when they face Argentina in their final group match in Texas today.
Defeats by Austria and Algeria mean Jamal Sellami’s team cannot progress to the Round of 32, but midfielder Amer Jamous insists Al-Nashama have no intention of shying away from the challenge of facing the reigning champions — even if Lionel Messi is on the team sheet.
Argentina have already secured their place in the knockout stages following back-to-back wins, prompting coach Lionel Scaloni to confirm he is likely to rotate his squad. Whether he rests Messi, who has scored all five of his country’s goals so far this month, remains to be seen.
Jamous hopes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will play. He told Arab News: “Messi is the best footballer in history, so we want him to play — 100 percent. It’ll be an honor for us to play against him. He’s Messi, so of course we are waiting for him and, inshallah, hope he will be ready. We will use it as a chance to prove to everyone that, even if he plays, we can play a big game.”
The Jordanian squad will return to Amman after the fixture, but Jamous insists the pressure is off as his side look to finish on a high against the three-time champions.
