Moscow, June 16: Argentina's Lionel Messi missed a second-half penalty as Iceland claimed their first ever World Cup point in a 1-1 draw here on Saturday.
Messi had a weak 64th-minute shot easily saved by Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson after Sergio Aguero of Argentina and Alfred Finnbogason of Iceland struck first half goals during a hard fought Group D match at the Spartak Stadium, reports Xinhua news agency.
It was an encouraging display for Heimir Hallgrimsson men, who showed surprising attacking intent early before weathering an Argentina onslaught in the second half.
Argentina, meanwhile, will be rueing a raft of missed opportunities, especially in the final half hour. Their next match against Croatia on June 21 is suddenly a must-win affair as the two-time champions seek to avoid an early tournament exit.
Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli began the match with Aguero just in front of Messi in attack, leaving Gonzalo Higuain on the bench.
The South Americans threatened in the opening minutes with two Messi free-kicks that floated perilously into the penalty area.
But Iceland soon settled and Birkir Bjarnason should have done better when he flayed a shot wide from 12 yards after a counter-attack.
As expected, Messi was heavily marked by Iceland's defence and the Barcelona forward was often forced deep to get involved. He twice had long-range efforts punched clear by Halldorsson.
Argentina took the lead when Aguero deftly controlled a bullet pass from Marcos Rojo before turning and unleashing a wicked left-footed shot that barely allowed Halldorsson to react as it cannoned into the top left corner.
The equaliser came four minutes later after Gylfi Sigurdsson rasping effort forced a lunging save from Caballero. The rebound fell to Finnbogason, who hammered in from close range.
Despite Argentina's control of possession, Iceland looked more likely to score.
Sigurdsson twice had chances to give his side the lead just before halftime -- first with a 15-yard strike that again tested Caballero and then by flashing a volley narrowly wide.
Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega replaced Lucas Biglia in the 54th minute and the change made an immediate impact as Iceland were pushed deeper.
Messi also became more influential. It was his inviting cross into the area that led a disorientated Hordur Magnusson to clatter into Maximiliano Meza. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot and the scene seemed set for another Messi rescue story for his country.
But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner appeared to hesitate before prodding a tame spot-kick that was parried away by Halldorsson.
Messi had further chances to score as Argentina pressed relentlessly in the final minutes. The No. 10 sent a free-kick over the bar and lashed long range attempts with either foot just wide of the target.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
