Argentina too pacy and clever for Angola

Angola's midfielder Mateus (R) fights for the ball with Argentina's defender Juan Sorin during a friendly football match in Salerno, in preparation for the 2006 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in Germany from 09 June to 09 July. Argentina won 2-0.

Argentina produced an impressive display to defeat a weak Angola team 2-0 in the South Americans' final warm-up match before the World Cup from June 9-July 9.

Argentina showed great pace and variety in their attacking play as first-half goals from Maxi Rodriguez and captain Juan Pablo Sorin sunk their overwhelmed opponents.

However, the twice champions will expect a much tougher African test when they kick off their World Cup campaign on June 10 against African Nations Cup beaten finalists Ivory Coast and their bruising forward Didier Drogba.

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman picked what was believed to be the likely starting line-up for the Ivory Coast game which means young Barcelona star Lionel Messi should find himself on the bench, as he did Tuesday, alongside Valencia's Pablo Aimar and Corinthians striker Carlos Tevez.

Villarreal's Juan Roman Riquelme pulled the strings behind Chelsea's Hernan Crespo and Javier Mascherano of Corinthians although Aimar and Tevez proved dangerous when they came on, aided amply by Messi.