Andries Noppert is not feeling any fear ahead of facing Lionel Messi and Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final on Friday.

The Heerenveen stopper has been one of the revelations of the World Cup after only making his debut in the tournament opener against Senegal.

Noppert has shown no fear so far in Oranje and asked by the press on Wednesday if he felt any ahead of the clash with Argentina, the 28-year-old said, according to Voetbal International, “Certainly not.”

He was then asked if he felt tension, “That will come when the time comes. I think that’s good too. I always say, “If you’re not feeling competitive, you might as well quit.” Healthy competition tension, that’s what I normally have.”

Asked about the prospect of facing a penalty from Lionel Messi, Noppert added, “Messi is only human. Like us. He can also miss penalties, which was already apparent earlier in the tournament. Of course he’s good, but I can also stop a penalty from him.”




admin (14221 Posts)

Follow @Footballoranje_ on Twitter