Benin national team goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou says he is ready to do everything possible to stop Lionel Messi in the special match against Argentina, which is expected to be one of the significant games in Messi’s international career.
Dandjinou said the match is not an ordinary one for him, describing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because it could feature Messi’s final game for Argentina. However, despite the great respect they have for the football icon, he insists Benin are not travelling to Argentina just to be spectators.
The goalkeeper stressed that Benin’s players understand Messi’s importance, but they are representing their country and will step onto the pitch with the aim of competing. For Dandjinou, his job is simple, make saves, even if that means facing Messi in the most difficult situations.
Dandjinou added that even if Messi wins a penalty in the final minutes of the game, he will still try to save it. In his view, that is the goalkeeper’s responsibility, and there is no room for gifts to an opponent, even when that opponent is one of the greatest players in football history.
Delivering a final confident message, Dandjinou said Benin can appreciate Messi’s presence, but nobody has told them to give him a goal. If Messi wants to score in the match, he will have to do everything he can to earn it. Now, all eyes will be on the encounter to see whether the goalkeeper can spoil Messi’s farewell celebrations or Argentina can give their captain a special ending to his international journey.
