Messi, Martinez combine as Argentina sink Angola in Luanda

LUANDA: Lionel Messi scored one goal and laid on another for Lautaro Martinez as Argentina defeated Angola 2-0 in a friendly in Luanda on Friday that marked 50 years of the independence for the hosts.
Messi’s pinpoint pass into the box from the right on 43 minutes was drilled into the back of the net by Martinez for his 36th international goal to give the visitors a halftime lead.
The same two players combined for the second goal seven minutes from the end when Martinez turned provider as Messi was played into space in the box and struck the ball low into the far corner.

That took his tally of international goals to 115.
Argentina were enticed to play the match by a reported $12-million pay-day, with officials selling tickets to the 48,000-seater Estadio Nacional 11 de Novembro for $1.
The match is Argentina’s only fixture of the international window, while Angola look ahead to the start of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations where they are in a group with Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe.