Entering into the opening week of the FIFA 2014 World Cup, enthusiasm and excitement has reached its peak among the fans of the beautiful game spread over the globe. With expectations already set among the fans’ favourite teams, Forza Italian Football previews Group F which includes Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegoniva, Iran and Nigeria.
By gradually viewing the teams involved in Group F, it is thought Argentina should finish the group stages as winners. But, when a hole is dug to analyse the strength of the nations from a step deeper, the capability of Bosnia and Nigeria have been brought to the light as they possess enough strength to put up a strong fight.
The presence of Champions League winner, Angel Di Maria, Ballon D’Or runner-up, Lionel Messi, Premier League winners, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis and Edin Dzeko, Premier League runner-up, Victor Moses, Serie A runner-up Miralem Pjanic make the games of Group F exciting to watch.
With several star attackers, Alejandro Sabella’s Argentina play attractive attacking football. Nevertheless, Bosnia’s attacking flair has also never been in doubt with Safet Susic’s side scoring 30 goals as they earned 25 points from 10 games in qualifying stages. Nigeria and Iran are expected to line-up a defensive approach to thrive in on counters.
According to the philosophy of the beautiful game, football is more attractive when two attacking teams face head-to-head or when two defensive teams play each other. Standing by the rule, the opening games of Argentina-Bosnia and Nigeria-Iran should be the peak of fascination.
Going by the head-to-head records, Argentina remain as the clear cut favourites to win the group as they have beaten Nigeria on all the three games and Bosnia in the two games they played before. Argentina have never played Iran on the international senior stage. Nigeria haven’t played Bosnia or Iran before and Iran have better head-to-head record against Bosnia with four wins and a draw.
Taking the head coach duty from Sergio Batista following Argentina’s disappointing exit in the 2011 Copa America, Sabella has re-constructed the team as an attacking unit. Argentina finished top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, gaining 32 points from 16 games with nine wins and five draws.
Meanwhile, the transformations, that Bosnia and Nigeria have undergone under Safet Susic and Stephen Keshi respectively are equally admirable. Having missed out on the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship in the final play-offs against Portugal on both occasions, the Dragons played with aggression and improved intensity throughout the 2014 World Cup qualification compaign. The frustrations of the previous failures to qualify might propel them to achieve greatness in Brazil.
With two or three top international players in the squad, Stephan Keshi has transformed his side to a battling unit capable of yielding challenges. Keshi led Nigeria to win their first major trophy in nearly 20 years in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Huge pressure has been mounted on the Iran coach Carlos Queiroz to lead his side in the World Cup with Ashkan Dejagah being the only worldwide well-known player in the squad.
Despite Iran being the highest ranked Asian team in the tournament, considering the recent strength and throwing away the head-to-head records of the past, the battle might be between Argentina, Bosnia and Nigeria to earn the top two places in Group F.
