Messi: GH Sports Journalist Ayim Derrick In Tears As He Meets Argentinian Captain For The First Time

• Mx24 Ghana sports journalist Ayim Derrick was in tears when he met Argentinian captain Lionel Messi for the first time at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• The Ghanaian joined the over 70,000 football fans who witnessed the opening game of CONMEBOL Copa América between Argentina and Canada on Thursday, June 20, 2024
• Many of his high school friends talked about his love for Messi, while others were overjoyed for him for finally meeting his idol
• In an exclusive interview with Derrick, he opened up about how he met Messi and how he felt after meeting him

Ghanaian sports journalist Ayim Derrick was overjoyed to have met Argentinian professional footballer Lionel Messi at the opening match of CONMEBOL Copa América between Argentina and Canada on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Ghanaian sports journalist met Messi at Copa América opening game

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MX24 Ghana media journalist, Ayim Derrick, got the chance to take a picture with Lionel Messi when the Argentinian team arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium ahead of their match against Canada.

The Argentinian team passed through the mix zone, and that was when he used the opportunity to take a picture with the 2022 World Cup champion.

Excitedly, Mr Ayim shared the picture on Instagram and X pages and wrote an emotional caption highlighting how it was a dream come true for him.

"DREAMS COME THROUGH!!!! YES IT DOES!! ❤️❤️!! @leomessi IS HERE OMG !!! @copaamerica @afaseleccionen,” Ayim Derrick wrote in the social media caption.

Meanwhile, the match between the two countries ended in a 2-0 victory for Argentina, to secure three points and the first spot on the table in Group A.

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Below is the photo of Messi and Ayim Derrick on X:

Below is a video of Messi captured by Derrick.

Reactions to the photo of Ayim Derrick and Messi

Many people who commented on the photo were so overjoyed for Ayim Derrick that his high school friends came out to share how much he loved Lionel Messi.

Below are the reactions:

@MickyJnr__ said:

The tears in your eyes say it. Proud of you man. Keep going. ❤️✨✌

@on_bami said:

You no dull yourself, you quickly capture am

effe_thompson said:

Ayim, I’m so happy to see this happen in real life, you always loved Messi

myz_tenzy_quofie said:

I remember in JHS you referred to yourself as Ayim Messi. Dreams really do come through. Big ups man.

kodarktaylor said:

Thank God the bodyguard wasn’t around ❤

celebrities_arena said:

Ayim Messi and Lionel Messi

emirsultan_landon said:

High school we Dey call you Messi

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ghana_interschool_festival said:

Next is Ronaldo

Below is the photo Ayim Derrick shared on his Instagram page:

Ayim Derrick spoke about how he met Messi and the emotions he felt

In an exclusive interview with YEN.com.gh, Ayim Derrick narrated how he met Messi at their CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 opening game.

He said that in the mix zone, after the Canadian players had passed through, the Argentinian team came through, and that was when he met Messi.

"But I was calm though. I was stunned after the picture was taken. It was then that I realised I had fulfilled my 15-year-old dream. Because it was my prayer 15 years ago that I would meet him (Messi) before he retires."

He further stated that while at the mix zone, he was not certain whether the players from both sides would use that section. He said that made him lose hope in meeting his idol.

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"We stood for close to 2 hours until I saw the Conmebol officials lining up the players. First was Canada, and one Canadian official said all the players would be coming. So, it’s there I realised Messi and the Argentinian will also do the same."

Narrating the memorable moment, Derrick said that he would not have had that opportunity if it was not for one Conmebol official. He said he had told the official he flew all the way from Ghana to the US for the tournament and to also meet his idol, Messi.

He pleaded with the official that he needed a mix zone pass who then promised him the pass and fulfilled it.

"So he promised to give to me. Mr Blanco gave me the card 20 minutes before kick-off. That was when I shared tears because I knew at that point I would meet my idol (Messi)!!!"

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Argentina ditched Ghana, chose Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria for friendlies

YEN.com.gh reported that Argentina changed its international friendly game schedule for March 2024, replacing Ghana with Cote d'Ivoire on March 26, 2024 and Nigeria on March 18, 2024, in China.

Key players like Lionel Messi, Emiliano Martinez, and Angel Di Maria were expected to feature in those matches.

Ghana, initially set to face Argentina, faced disappointment in the 2023 AFCON with an early exit, while Cote D'Ivoire and Nigeria were preparing for the quarterfinals.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh