Messi green light sparks perfect start
Superstar striker Lionel Messi played a starring role for Argentina in their Olympic opener with Ivory Coast after his club Barcelona gave him permission to play.
The 21-year-old scored one goal and created another to hand the South Americans a 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast. Messi was given the green light to play by Barca just 24 hours after the Spanish giants claimed a landmark court victory, allowing them to recall their players from Olympic duty if needed.
They and German sides Schalke and Werder Bremen each celebrated the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in their favour, but neither had withdrawn their players from the Games as the men’s competition got underway.
Barcelona officials yesterday confirmed they would not be recalling Messi on the player’s wishes, and that was music to the ears of Argentine followers as the tricky wide man ran the show in Beijing yesterday.
With two minutes of the first half remaining, he gave his side a deserved lead with a neat side-footed finish.
The Ivory Coast equalised seven minutes after the break with a powerful Sekou Cisse header, before Messi conjured up the winner five minutes from time, setting up Lautaro Acosta after his initial shot was saved.
Elsewhere, Brazil got off to a winning start as they beat nine-man Belgium 1-0 in Group C. Midfielder Hernanes got the winner in between Vincent Kompany and Marouane Fellaini being sent off for the Belgians.
Nigeria, the 1996 champions, held Holland to a 0-0 draw, while Manchester United’s Dong Fangzhou scored in the last minute to hand China a 1-1 draw with New Zealand.