Argentina Triumphs with a 5-0 Victory Over Zambia in Home Friendly Match

If this was indeed Lionel Messi’s last international appearance on home soil, he certainly made his mark quickly, notching up his eighth assist in nine international matches at La Bombonera.

Within just three minutes, he set up Julian Alvarez, who coolly found the bottom-left corner, leaving goalkeeper Willard Mwanza with no chance. This early goal set Argentina on a path towards their fifth consecutive victory. Alvarez nearly turned into a provider himself seven minutes later, but his effort to create a chance fell victim to an interception.

It was predictable that Zambia, having suffered defeats after conceding three or more goals in their previous games against non-African teams this decade, would struggle to mount any serious challenge. Even though the home side was operating at a modest pace, Messi extended their lead just before half-time, collecting a sublime through ball from Alexis Mac Allister before slotting it into the bottom-right corner from close range.

Zambia’s hopes of retrieving a point were effectively extinguished just five minutes into the second half.

After attempting a wayward shot that soared over the bar, Albert Kangwanda fouled Thiago Almada with a careless challenge in the box. Instead of taking the penalty himself, Messi surprisingly handed the responsibility to vice-captain Nicolás Otamendi – a gesture that could signify a passing of the torch – and Otamendi calmly converted the spot kick, sending it straight down the middle following a composed run-up.

With an 11th win in 13 outings looking virtually guaranteed and Zambia’s record against South American foes extending to five straight losses, Argentina began to showcase their flair. The margin increased further on 68 minutes, although the fourth goal came about in a rather fortunate manner for the hosts.

Intricate interplay involving Valentin Barco and Almada culminated in Almada’s cross being deflected into the net off Dominic Chanda’s head as he attempted to make a clearance.

It was a clear case of men against boys, with the defending world champions enjoying a mere training session, as Barco netted a fifth deep into stoppage time. With this victory, Argentina achieved their 26th clean sheet from 31 matches since lifting the World Cup in December 2022. For Zambia, the wait for a remarkable result against a South American powerhouse continues; they’ve now conceded two or more goals in each of their last five friendlies.