Legendary Argentina midfielder Diego Maradona believes that the Argentina national team has lost its former glory and has called current manager Jorge Sampaoli a liar for claiming he does not have a genuine number nine in the squad.

The former Barcelona and Napoli hero pointed out that Argentina would have conceded eight goals in their last friendly against the Super Eagles and the team rely too much on Messi to win.

''Today, except for Messi, they have lost respect for the team's jersey,'' Maradona told Diario Popular.

''Look at what happened in the last game with Nigeria, we almost conceded eight goals, please, you know what happened in my time in a match like that. "

Maradona added : ''Pipa' (Gonzalo Higuain) is ten times better, so for me he has to have another chance, but that boy (Sampaoli) does not know anything, what he does know is going to eat at friends' house..''

The 1986 World Cup winner said that Carlos Tevez deserves to be called up to the national team : It's not a debate, we have nothing else, we're scratching the stones to get a nine, one that overflows, Carlitos also has the sacred fire, it's contagious."

A brace from Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi plus additional tallies from Amkar Perm's Brian Idowu and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho earned the Super Eagles a 4-2 win over Argentina in Southern Russia on November 14.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel