Sabella eyes redemption

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has vowed to avenge his team’s loss to Venezuela in the World Cup qualifying competition.

A Fernando Amorebieta goal led Cesar Farias’ team to a 1-0 victory in October, which marked the first time that the country had defeated their South American rivals.

As the Albiceleste prepare for their next two tests on Friday and Tuesday against Bolivia and Colombia respectively, Sabella confessed that losing the last game left scars on him and his charges.

“It will stay in history that I was the first coach (to lose), that cannot be erased,” he lamented in an interview with Ole published on Wednesday.

“Self-criticism is important, but we should not panic. We have to be intelligent in order to listen to the rest and analyse things so the same errors are not committed twice. Mao (Tse-Tung) said that self-criticism is a symptom of weakness and there is some truth in that.”

Turning his focus to the matches against Bolivia and Colombia, Sabella affirmed that Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero could get the chance to start, replacing the injured Angel Di Maria.

“It is possible that (Aguero, Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain) play together in attack, as they did in the Copa America. I have seen Kun playing on the left in Manchester City, in the last few games,” he explained, before stating that the continued absence of Aguero’s team-mate Carlos Tevez is due to his exile from the English team.

“It is the only reason. When he starts playing again, we will see. Although unlike Kun, who can play on the left, Tevez has said that he does not feel comfortable there.”

Argentina host Bolivia on Friday, before meeting Colombia in Barranquilla four days later.