The coach of the Venezuelan soccer team, Fernando Batista, said this Wednesday that he hopes his team can play “a great game” on Thursday against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
“They have top players, they have the best in the world, but I trust mine a lot,” Batista said at a press conference at the Monumental Stadium in Maturín, headquarters of the match for the ninth round, in which Messi will reappear with the Albiceleste team after an injury that sidelined him from the world champions’ two previous pre-World Cup matches.
“We are prepared to play a great game” and “hopefully we can bring joy to the Venezuelans,” said the coach. “There is no more motivation than being able to play these kinds of games (…). You are playing against the champion of America, against the champion of the world.”
Batista will have a special afternoon, facing his native country.
“Tomorrow I will be the person who wants to win the most, because I owe myself to the players, to the managers, to the people (…) and the game ends and I become Argentine again,” he said in this regard.
The vinotinto coach highlighted being able to count on midfielder Yangel Herrera again, after he overcame physical problems with his club, the Spanish Girona.
“Yangel is a player with incredible conditions, in a league like Spain, where standing out is not easy,” he declared. “We can count on him tomorrow and I hope he can give us everything he can give.”
There are only two casualties due to suspension due to accumulation of yellow cards: left back Miguel Navarro and midfielder Cristian Cásseres Jr.
Batista raised the possibility of changing sides to right-back Jon Aramburu, from Real Sociedad, to occupy Navarro’s position on the left side, although he said he also considered other possibilities.
“Alex (González) and Delvin Alfonzo can play on the other side, and it could be a possibility (…). Aramburu has already done it with us.”