“Argentina knows it's a tough rival”: Antonio 'Turco' Mohamed on the Mexican National Team in Qatar 2022

Coach Antonio Turco Mohamed said that in his home country there is considerable respect for facing the Mexican National Team in the group stage of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. After news circulated about the celebrations in Argentina when he met Tri as a rival, the coach said that the team led by Gerardo Martino will represent a difficult match for the celeste.

One of the cases that generated the most controversy was that of goalkeeper Damián Dibu Martínez who was caught in a video celebrating with effusivity when he heard about the confrontation against Mexico in the draw to which he released “Easy, Easy! (easy, easy!)”. Criticism of the goalkeeper of Aston Villa and the Argentine national team was not long in coming, as only a few days later he received a rout in a match for Premier League.

In an interview with the Fox Sports MX network, the Turco was questioned by this type of situation, to which he replied: “On the contrary, I think he takes himself as a rather careful rival. Now, what is generated or talked about is that there were Europeans stronger than Mexico or with more history. But also, Mexico is a team that has passed the round in the last ten world championships. So that is a very valuable precedent for which Mexico is going to fight for first or second place. I have no doubt about that.”

Among the rivals from Europe that Mohamed referred to is Holland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Croatia, teams located in pot two and that could have shared sector with albiceleste. Eventually, both Mexicans and Argentines were integrated into sector C along with Poland and Saudi Arabia.

However, the former coach of Liga MX teams such as Tijuana, Monterrey and America, failed to ensure that the Mexican National Team has advanced to the round of 16 in the last ten World Cups. The exact fact is that, in the amount referred to, the Tri has managed to overcome the group stage nine times (the count of ten World Cups ago for the tricolors dates from Mexico 1970, and in Argentina 1978 he was eliminated in the first round).

Finally, Mohamed insisted that it will not be easy for his nation to face the Tri in Qatar 2022, but he said that those who were least excited to have the Aztecs in their group were the canarinha. “Argentina knows that Mexico is a difficult rival. In the world championships he is another rival. Those who don't want to face Mexico are the Brazilians. Mexico with Brazil is always growing. When the draw was going to take place, the Brazilians told me here 'I hope it doesn't touch us because it always complicates us'”.

In the history of the tournament, North Americans and South Americans have met three times. All with favorable balance for the two-time world champions. In Uruguay 1930 they met in the group stage and Mexico was beaten six goals to three. In Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 they met in the round of 16 and the scores were two to one and three to one, respectively.

To: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands

B: England, Senegal, United States and European Repechage

C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia

D: France, Intercontinental Repechage (Peru or Australia/United Arab Emirates), Denmark and Tunisia

E: Spain, Intercontinental Repechage (Costa Rica or New Zealand), Germany and Japan

F: Belgium, Canada, Croatia and Croatia

G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon

H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea

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