Despite being on the losing side, Ghana’s Harrison Afful had something to cheer about, probably for the rest of his life, after getting Lionel Messi’s shirt shortly after their clash in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Messi, held in some breath as the greatest player of all time, has taken the MLS by storm since his permanent move from French giant Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami.
Adding to his impressive run since moving to the country, he scored another goal to lead Inter Miami to a convincing 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC. Messi’s brilliant skill was on full display as he scored Inter Miami’s eighth League Cup goal, sending them into the semifinals, where they will play the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday.
Veteran Ghanaian defender Harrison Afful, an important member of Charlotte’s club, shared the field with Messi. Despite his great efforts throughout the game, Afful was unfortunate enough to be disappointed by the outcome, as his team lost.
Right after the game, Afful ‘cornered’ Messi and asked for his jersey and he willingly obliged, as shared in the video below;
In a related development, Nick Marsman’s contract with Inter Miami has been terminated, just weeks after he made the remark that the team wasn’t ready to recruit Lionel Messi.
After his shocking transfer to the MLS was finalized with an introduction at DRV PNK Stadium, Messi was welcomed with considerable fanfare upon his arrival in South Florida. With seven goals in four games, the World Cup winner has already shown that the celebration was worthwhile. Nevertheless, Marsman wasn’t originally persuaded that Miami’s decision to sign the Argentine was appropriate.
Back in June, the shotstopper suggested that David Beckham’s club wasn’t equipped to acquire a player of Messi’s quality.
‘I personally think that this club is not ready for Messi’s arrival,’ Marsman told ESPN. ‘We have a temporary stadium, people can just walk on the pitch, there are no gates.
We also leave for the stadium without security. I think they aren’t ready. But I hope he comes.’
Just weeks after his comments, Inter Miami has ripped up the 32-year-old’s contract and bought him out of his deal.
The contract of a player may only be terminated by a club once each season in Major League Soccer. After spending two years at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, the Dutchman moved to Miami halfway through the 2021 season. Drake Callender has been his backup since he was promoted from Inter Miami II in November 2021, and although he made 29 appearances for the club, he was unable to crack the starting lineup.
After being hospitalized in June, Marsman had a difficult few weeks that came to an end with the termination of his contract. His supermodel wife stated on Instagram that a spider bite he had during a family excursion to the zoo caused him to spend three days in the hospital.
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