Cape Verde, with a population of just over 500,000, rocked Lionel Messi’s Argentina with two stunning equalizers to raise the prospect of pulling off the greatest upset in World Cup history at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
But a Diney Borges own goal, under pressure from Argentina’s Cristian Romero, in the 111th minute finally broke Cape Verde’s resistance to settle an all-time World Cup classic.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said losing to Cape Verde “would have been madness.”
It was “a very tough match; you always have to take the positives -this team (Argentina) never gives up,” Scaloni said.
“We have to congratulate the opponent; when people say there are no easy opponents, they proved today that they are a great team,” he emphasized.
Argentina, who are bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962, will play Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta for a place in the quarter-finals
But the South Americans were forced to cling on for victory against a team ranked 65 places below them by world governing body FIFA.
Messi had fired Argentina into the lead with a superb goal on 29 minutes, setting the reigning world champions on course for what most assumed would be a routine win.
But Deroy Duarte’s 59th-minute equalizer left Argentina shellshocked, and the African qualifiers then held on improbably to force extra-time.
Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina’s lead in the 92nd minute, but once again Cape Verde hit back, Sidny Lopes Cabral curling in a magnificent second on 103 minutes.
Earlier Friday, Egypt defeated Australia on penalties to win a World Cup knockout match for the first time.
