ECUADOR have been rocked by FIVE players being suspended for going AWOL before their crucial World Cup qualifier with Argentina.
Struggling Argentina needed a result to qualify and won 3-1 on Wednesday to allow Lionel Messi & Co. to sneak through to Russia 2018.
The Barcelona genius supplied a stunning hat-trick after his side had repeatedly flopped in the qualification campaign.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation has released a statement that implicates their own men of shameless behaviour.
Ecuador manager Jorge Celico reported his men to his bosses and they have taken swift action.
The Bolivian football association said :”Once Jorge Celico’s report was with us, with the details of all the facts, the committee decide unanimously to suspend indefinitely the five players involved from all Ecuadorian national team activities.”
Ecuador started the World Cup qualifiers with four wins in their first four but won only two of their last 14.
Celcio’s side dropped to eighth place in the 10-team group and outside the qualifying places for Russia 2018.
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Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli did not think his side was given a walkover, with Messi getting all the credit.
He said: “”Luckily the nationality of the best player in the world is Argentinian.
“We must be sure everything does not depend on Leo but today he brought his great ability.
“I told the group; Messi did not owe the World Cup to Argentina, but football owed the World Cup to Messi. We should help him be in the World Cup.”
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