Kruger United goalkeeper set for Messi farewell in Argentina

Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina against Benin on 6 October, with Kruger United goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou expected to line up for the West African side in the Betway Premiership-linked fixture.

The match will be played at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, the home of River Plate, and is being arranged as a farewell for Messi after his recent announcement that he would retire from international football.

Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia has persuaded the 39-year-old to return for the occasion. Messi has already been included in Argentina’s squad for the forthcoming FIFA dates, although the Inter Miami forward is expected to play only against Benin as his senior international career, which began in 2005, comes to an end.

Argentina’s other scheduled friendly matches during the international window are against Bolivia on 30 September and Burkina Faso on 3 October.

Dandjinou is Benin’s first-choice goalkeeper and has played four of Kruger United’s six matches this season. His club competition for the position has come from Fiacre Ntwari, who has featured twice.

The 28-year-old made his top-flight debut against Kaizer Chiefs in Kruger’s opening match of the season. That appearance came five-and-a-half years after he moved to South Africa from Benin.

Before joining Kruger United just over a year ago, Dandjinou spent four-and-a-half years with Motsepe Championship club JDR Stars. His move to South Africa was influenced by his agent, Michel Sinha.

Dandjinou was Kruger’s first-choice goalkeeper during the campaign in which the club secured promotion and has retained that status with Benin under manager Gernot Rohr. He has won 23 caps over the past three years and is expected to be included in the squad for the match against Argentina.

He was the only goalkeeper from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the Africa Cup of Nations finals earlier this year. The tournament also made him Kruger United’s first-ever representative at the competition.

Dandjinou played three matches at the finals, including Benin’s defeats by Senegal and Egypt. He also started Benin’s most recent match against Bafana Bafana in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The fixture against Argentina will give Dandjinou the prospect of facing Messi in what is planned to be the global star’s final match for his country.