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World Cup Roundup: Messi shines again; Switzerland's Shaqiri joins the fun

Argentina’s Lionel Messi continued his World Cup dual with Neymar by scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Nigeria while Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri got in on the act with a magnificent hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday.

-Complete coverage of the football World Cup

Two days after Neymar scored twice in Brazil’s 4-1 win over Cameroon on Monday, Messi replied with a brace of his own to leave the pair as joint top scorers at the tournament with four goals.

-PHOTOS: Argentina continue to Messi-merize; Bosnia end with a win

-Messi scores twice as Argentina beat Nigeria; both qualify

In Porto Alegre, Messi lashed in a rebound after three minutes but Nigeria equalised a minute later with a superb finish by Ahmed Musa. But Messi was not to be outdone and curled in a brilliant 20-metre freekick in first-half stoppage time.

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Shaqiri hat-trick steers Swiss into last 16

Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri erased his side's lingering World Cup pain in Manaus on Wednesday, scoring a hat-trick to see off Honduras 3-0 and secure a daunting last-16 tie against Lionel Messi's Argentina.

-PHOTOS: Shaqiri's treble crushes Honduras

Four years ago the Central Americans denied Switzerland a place in the knockout rounds by holding out for a 0-0 draw but two first-half goals from the impressive Bayern Munich player gave Honduras a mountain to climb.

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Goalless draw leaves France top; eliminates Ecuador

Ten-man Ecuador bravely held France to a 0-0 draw at Rio's Maracana stadium on Wednesday but the European favourites still topped Group E to gain a second round tie against Nigeria.

-PHOTOS: Heartbreak for Ecuador as France top group

Through luck, determination, bad finishing and brilliant goalkeeping by Alexander Dominguez, Ecuador resisted even after captain and Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia was ordered off early in the second half for a studs up challenge on Lucas Digne.

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Bosnia beat Iran but eliminated

Bosnia beat Iran 3-1 in their Group F finale on Wednesday to record their first World Cup win and deny the West Asians any chance of reaching the knockout stage.

-Bosnia dash Iran hopes, record first World Cup win

-PHOTOS: Argentina continue to Messi-merize; Bosnia end with a win

Already eliminated after two losses, Bosnia, appearing at a major tournament for the first time as an independent nation, went ahead in the 23rd minute through Edin Dzeko.

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Nigeria, first African team to reach last 16

Nigeria scraped through behind already-qualified Argentina, becoming the first African team to reach the last 16 at this tournament, while Switzerland also qualified along with France, who drew 0-0 with Ecuador.

-Messi scores twice as Argentina beat Nigeria; both qualify

-PHOTOS: Argentina continue to Messi-merize; Bosnia end with a win

While Nigeria celebrated qualification, there was less joy for African elsewhere as Ghana became embroiled in a row over appearance fees on the eve of their decisive Group G match against Portugal which needed the intervention of President John Mahama.