Members of the global soccer family are in mourning mood over the demise of Diego Armando Maradona, arguably the best round leather manipulator of his generation. Highly gifted, humiliating the best of defence that came his way, the iconic footballer could not place the ball beyond the hands of Death the way he did to some of the best goalkeepers in his time. He kicked the bucket on November 25, 2020.
At the age of 60 when Death targeted his heart for arrest, the master dribbler had lost his pace, skills and ingenuity that helped him to outsmart most goal tenders at all levels of competitions, at home and abroad.
Maradona’s ingenuity brought him to fame or infamy at the 1986 World Cup quarter-final duel between Argentina which he captained and the Three Lions of England when he thumbed the ball past the legendary Peter Shilton to earn his side a 2 -1 victory.
Everyone watching what turned out to be a controversial encounter except the centre referee and his assistants saw what happened. And because the match officials did not see the foul, Maradona, when asked about the goal, said that it was the (invisible) hand of God that put the ball past the keeper. Well, perhaps, he was right. Has anyone ever seen the hand(s) of God?
But some saw Maradona’s claim as a blasphemy. God could not have aided such deceit or been part of it. The British folks and their press never forgave him for that sleight of the hand. Britain and Argentina have never been the best of friends. Britain fought Argentina over Falklands Island about a decade and a half before the hand of God episode. That 2 – 1 victory was like a revenge over England.
Until Maradona translated from the warm hand of God to the cold hands of Death, and even in his death, the British soccer folks, ever in desperation of capturing the World Cup they last won in 1966 as hosts, have not forgiven the stocky striker. Ex-England international, Gary Lineker, was literally pilloried by his compatriots for paying a glowing tribute to him. Just as Peter Shilton was mad that the “cheat” did not deem it fit to apologise for his wrongdoing and went to his grave with it!
Goals are the ambrosia of the soccer god and I think that was what happened on that fateful day in Mexico. God is too holy to come and help any mortal to cheat in a venture as mundane as football. So, I can safely conclude that it was the soccer god that connived with Maradona and not God Almighty. You must have read this line in football reportage back in the day: “Team A did all they could to score but the god of soccer was not on their side.” But then, come to think of it, if goals were actually the meals of the god, would it deny itself of any?
But Uruguay striker, Louis Suarez, did what Maradona did in an encounter with the Black Stars of Ghana at the 2010 World Cup Finals staged in South Africa. Perhaps, his was the hand of the Devil because the referee (with an inner third eye?) spotted the trick and the toothy striker was shown the red card. Black Stars’ dependable striker, Asamoah Gyang, stepped forward to take the resultant penalty but he wasted it.
That painful and shocking miss retired Gyang from taking penalties for the rest of his career.
Gyang was fortunate that the god of soccer did not instigate his compatriots against him back home for denying it a good meal. The soccer god loves goals from penalties which are direct meals and fresh, unlike those from open play that have passed through all manner of legs. Andres Escobar was not lucky. At the USA ‘94 World Cup Finals, the central defender scored an own goal.
An own goal is a wrong meal (a poison) when served to the soccer god, and it can be punishable by death if the server is not fortunate as the hapless Colombian defender found out back home after the tournament.
What made the own goal more painful was that at the time Escobar turned the ball into his own net, the Colombians were looking for an equalizer in their second match of the showpiece against the United States.
Three disgusted fans, instigated by the god, accosted Escobar on the street of Medelin in Colombia on July 2, 1994, armed with .38 calibre pistols. They pumped hot lead into his body, with the shout of goals as each of the six bullets rang out!
By now, Maradona must have dribbled his way to the Pearly Gates to be confronted by the Angels on guard. What we may not know is whether or not the co-winner of the Player of the Century Diadem is able to wriggle his way through into Heaven.
Here on earth, the soccer icon will be remembered by his exploits on the pitch, starting from the age of 17 but he failed to join the rank of football prodigies that broke into their national squads at that age. The legendary Pele and joint holder of the Player of the Century Award was the first to set that record. He broke into the national team at the tender age of 15 and helped Brazil not only to qualify for the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden but also inspired them to clinch the trophy.
Born on October 30, 1960, in Buenos Aires, the stocky and diminutive football star began his club career at a tender age of 15 and was instantly recognised for his pace, high techniques and dribbling skills, all packed into his left leg.
But he was ignored ahead of the 1978 World Cup Finals on account of his pint size, despite his noticeable potential. However, he broke into the national squad four years later, featuring at the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain and he gave a good account of himself as a potential one-man riot squad. In 1986, he led Argentina to win the World Cup in Mexico during which he scored his infamous Hand of God.
His playing career saw him playing for home-based clubs like Argentinos Junior, Boca Juniors, and Newell’s Old Boys before breaking away to feature in foreign league clubs, among which were FC Barcelona and the Italian giants, Napoli, where he won laurels for the clubs.
He was idolised in Napoli where he won two Italian Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 as well as the 1989 UEFA Cup. Maradona also helped the club to win the 1987 Italian Cup, scoring a total of 115 goals in 259 appearances for the team. His exploits led to the Napoli Stadium renamed after him.
However, the football legend had drug and alcohol addiction issues and a poor diet to go along with it.
The habit marred his football career and had negative impacts on his performance. For instance, in 1991, Maradona was handed a 15-month ban from the game as he tested positive for cocaine. He was also thrown out of the 1994 FIFA World Cup Finals in the US after he tested positive for a banned stimulant, ephedrine.
He failed another test in 1997 as he tested positive for a prohibited substance while playing for Boca Juniors.
Between 2000 and 2004, Maradona had heart problems due to cocaine addiction and was hospitalised. In 2007, he was treated for alcoholism and was also in and out of the hospital with “acute toxic hepatitis” related to excessive drinking.
Following his retirement in 1997, Maradona put on weight and suffered from obesity. He had a stomach surgery in 2005.
His pace and dribbling skills could not get him out of the life-threatening calaboose called drug addiction until his last days.
May his soul find peace with his Maker.