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Benin coach Gernot Rohr has criticised the treatment of his players after their friendly against Argentina, claiming they were denied the chance to take photographs with Lionel Messi or exchange shirts with the world champions.
Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday as Messi made his final appearance for the national team. The Argentine captain scored one goal and provided two assists.
However, Rohr said the Benin players were unable to enjoy a post-match moment with Messi and his teammates because security personnel prevented them from accessing the tunnel and dressing room.
Speaking on RMC’s Rothen s’enflamme, the former Nigeria coach said: “Yes, it was extremely difficult. We tried.
“The only shame is that the Argentines gave us nothing. No photo with Messi, no shirt. They didn’t even let us into the tunnel, nor even the dressing room.”
Rohr said some Argentine players were willing to exchange shirts with their Benin counterparts, but security officials prevented the interaction.
“Security refused to let anyone in. Some players came to swap shirts, so we knew it would be difficult. We tried everything, but we got nothing,” he said.
The Benin delegation also attempted to present Messi with a bouquet of flowers in the country’s yellow, red and green colours, but Rohr said the gesture did not lead to a meeting with the Argentine star.
“We offered a bouquet of flowers in Benin’s colours, yellow, red and green, but that didn’t work,” he said.
Rohr, however, managed to secure a personal souvenir. He handed a Messi shirt from 2018 to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who arranged for Messi to sign it before returning it to him.
“However, I gave Messi’s 2018 shirt to coach Scaloni, who got him to sign it for me and then returned it to me, but that was all,” Rohr said.
Despite the disappointment, the occasion remained historic for Benin, whose players shared the pitch with Messi during his final international appearance. Messi finished his Argentina career with 208 caps and 126 goals, having won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles.
