Benin’s visit to Argentina was meant to be a rare night alongside Lionel Messi, but the African side left the farewell friendly with a complaint about the distance enforced around the world champion.
Coach Gernot Rohr said his players were prevented from approaching Messi after the match, with a heavy security operation keeping the Benin delegation away from Argentina’s captain.
Quick facts
- Benin faced Argentina in Messi’s farewell international friendly.
- Gernot Rohr called the occasion an “extraordinary experience” for his squad.
- The Benin coach said security stopped players from meeting Messi or obtaining photos and shirts.
- Rohr waited more than 30 minutes before Lionel Scaloni signed an old Messi shirt he had brought to the stadium.
Speaking after the game, Rohr said Argentina’s players had offered no mementos to his team. “We got nothing from the Argentines — no picture with Messi and no shirt,” he said.
He added that his group had not even been allowed into the tunnel area, describing security staff as having blocked everyone from getting close to the Argentina squad.
Rohr had brought an older Messi jersey with him and eventually obtained an autograph from Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. The Benin manager said he had remained in the dressing-room area for more than half an hour before that happened.
Despite his irritation at the post-match arrangements, the veteran coach did not diminish the sporting significance of the occasion. He described the fixture as an exceptional experience for Benin, while feeling his players deserved greater acknowledgement after sharing the field with Messi on his emotional Argentina farewell night.
