Argentine World Cup-winning striker Jorge Valdano has admitted that he is not comfortable with Argentina's group at the World Cup which consists of Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia.

The former Real Madrid and Valencia manager pointed out that Argentina recently lost 4-2 to the Super Eagles in a friendly and will need to step up their game at the World Cup.

''Iceland are a rock, Croatia have a good footing, waiting for the physical condition of players such as Luka Modric or Ivan Rakitic, and against Nigeria, Argentina clearly lost recently, and it does not seem like a comfortable group at first ,'' Valdano told Spanish television channel GOL.

''With Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Agüero and Leo Messi, the team has to be sorted out a bit, and that alone has to be among the candidates to win the World Cup.

''Argentina has to be much more than what it has shown so far, Leo Messi pulled the team out of a big problem, and I hope Argentina will return the favor with more solidity than it has been. ''

Valdano netted for Argentina in the final of the 1986 World Cup against Germany at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.

Igho Kingsley