Olympics-Soccer-Argentina and Nigeria promise more fireworks

By Brian Homewood

BEIJING, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Champions Argentina face Nigeria for the Olympic gold medal on Saturday in a match which promises to be every bit as exciting as their previous meeting in the final 12 years ago.

On that occasion, Nigeria became the first African team to win the tournament when they won 3-2 with a last-gasp Emmanuel Amunike goal the South Americans claimed was offside.

Both teams included players who went on to enjoy successful careers at senior international level.

Diego Simeone, Javier Zanetti and Roberto Ayala each made over 100 appearances for Argentina while Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Nwankwo Kano were in the Nigeria side.

Both teams reached their final with their own brands of attacking football.

Nigeria have been exuberant but exasperatingly erratic and their players have been criticised by coach Samson Siasia for individualism.

Argentina, led by the dynamic Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero and orchestrated by Juan Roman Riquelme in midfield, have been stylish and are buoyed by their 3-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Brazil in the semi-final.

One possible dampener could be the heat as the match will kick off at midday -- a hefty price to pay for staging the event at the Bird's Nest, where athletics take priority.

It is another reminder of soccer's somewhat uncomfortable place at the Games.

With governing body FIFA wary of creating a rival to its own World Cup, the tournament is restricted to under-23 teams with each allowed to field up to three overage players.

NO REVENGE

Argentina coach Sergio Batista said revenge was not on his mind.

"We are not looking at the match in that sort of way," he said. "This Argentine team has committed themselves to each match at the Olympics in order to win the gold medal."

Siasia, however, is confident his side can stop Messi and win the game.

"To defend against Lionel Messi is the biggest thing we have to do," he said.