Bogota, Oct 4: Former Argentine footballer Pablo Aimar has said that the national team will miss Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in the next two matches of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers but has a strong team that is capable of winning matches in his absence too.

"On these two dates Argentina cannot count on its best, who is Messi, but has players who can win matches, although Messi is always needed," said the former player of River Plate, Real Zaragoza and Benfica on Tuesday.

On the qualifiers for the World Cup, Aimar said that Colombia like Argentina, has a chance of qualifying owing to a strong team, reports Efe.

"I think it will go well. They have great players -- who are in the best teams in the world. It has what it takes to qualify for the World Cup," said Aimar who played a friendly match in Bogota in which world football's ruling body FIFA's president Gianni Infantino was also present.

Aimar added that he has and will always be in love with football, and appeared pleased with the game Tuesday between former international footballers and Colombians, including Brazil's Cafu, France's David Trezeguet and Colombians Carlos Valderra, Juan Pablo Angel, Fasutino Asprilla, Freddy Rincon, Farid Mondragon and Oscar Cordoba.

IANS