Messi wary of playing Bolivia at 4,000 m altitude

La Paz, March 26 (IANS)

Lionel Messi said Argentina will be wary of the threat posed by the altitude of La Paz when they meet Bolivia here in Tuesday’s football World Cup qualifier for 2014 Brazil.

Argentina lead the South American zone standings with 23 points from 10 games and victory here will all but book their place at next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

Messi revealed he is still tormented by the memory of Bolivia’s 6-1 victory over Argentina in 2009.

“That is the only experience I have at that sort of altitude and it was terrible,” Messi said of playing at almost 4,000 m above sea level.

“You exert yourself and never recover. It was a really difficult game for us and for that reason we are trying our best to make it a better result this time.”

In other South American qualifiers Tuesday, Ecuador face Paraguay, Venezuela meet Colombia and Chile take on Uruguay.