I can't help but pay special tribute to football legend Diego Maradona, who passed away on November 25 at 60.
The world is still mourning the loss of this Argentine, who rocked the world with his amazing football skills.
And to think, just over a month ago, I was invited to Shah Alam’s Active Sports Centre Outlet by proprietor and friend, Murugeson Sithambaram, to celebrate Maradona's 60th birthday on October 30.
A die-hard fan of the football legend, Murugeson literally surprised me by hosting the party in his company boardroom, which had been converted into a special mini-Maradona gallery, complete with a specially baked cake to commemorate the occasion.
One of the guests at the party was Malaysia's very own football legend, former Selangor and national defender Datuk Santokh Singh. Also present were current national hockey coach A. Arul Selvaraj and TV personality Haji Zainal Abidin Rawop.
Understandably, it came as quite a shock to those gathered there, and to his fans around the world, that the football great would pass away but a few weeks later.
Besides having a colourful character with loads of charisma to spare, Maradona was as much a visionary as he was a gifted player.
Equipped with a low centre of gravity as a result of his small stature, Maradona could control the ball with breath-taking effect; he exuded impressive passing and dribbling skills that lent him the ability to execute unbelievable soccer manoeuvres.
Known to be a free-kick specialist, Maradona also possessed a keen eye for identifying scoring opportunities where none existed.
On the pitch, his presence and leadership had a great effect on his team's overall performance, and as a result of this, he would often be singled out and targeted by his opponents.
Last but not least, Maradona was infamous for the high entertainment that followed his every match; you would be hard-pressed not to expect something unpredictable once he had the ball —more than just a great entertainer, he was a football magician.
In front of 114,600 jubilant fans on June 29, 1986, Maradona single-handedly steered Argentina to a World Cup triumph by defeating West Germany 3-2 at the gigantic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
I was in Form Three at the Royal Military College (RMC) in Sungai Besi when he hoisted the World Cup as Argentina’s captain.
Whenever there was a World Cup, it was like a carnival for us students. I looked forward to watching Maradona in action during televised matches at the school’s Recreation Hall.
In fact, I had already become a keen follower since the 1982 World Cup in Spain when I was in Standard Three at Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Bandar Hilir.
During the 1986 edition, I was a football striker for RMC and had yet to get involved in hockey so you can imagine the excitement it stirred in me especially after Maradona’s disappointing debut in the previous World Cup, having undergone brutal treatment from the opposing teams’ defenders at the tender age of 21.
Sadly, he ended the tournament with a red card for retaliation when the already-eliminated Argentina team lost to Brazil. Already a star in the making, Maradona had fallen victim to ‘rugby’ tackles throughout the tournament before he snapped against Brazil.
However, it was different in Mexico; the painful lessons he learned four years earlier served him well enough that despite repeated tackles, he kept cool and focused on his mission to win the World Cup for Argentina.
Regardless of the constant provocation, he made it his own to lead Argentina to victory for a second time after their first — as tournament host — in 1978.
It was a different Maradona compared to the one in Spain; he turned the team around with confidence by performing in critical matches and delivering what was expected of him.
He successfully did this despite the presence of several superstars from opposing teams, such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Lothar Matthaus of Germany, Jan Ceulemans (Belgium), Zico and Socrates (Brazil), Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin (France) and Enzo Francescoli (Uruguay).
During the final, Maradona set up the winning goal by Jorge Burruchaga in the 86th minute and scored twice — defeating four defenders to clinch the second goal — in the semi-final match against a formidable Belgium team.
On the other hand, the 2-1 quarter-final win over England — in which he scored both goals — will be remembered forever for very special reasons; this match can’t be left out if Maradona is the topic of conversation.
It all happened in the 51st minute: just as goalkeeper Peter Shilton reached out to catch the ball, Maradona jumped alongside him and with a deftness that fooled the eye, flicked the ball through the England goalkeeper's arms and into the net.
Imagine this for a second, Maradona was 1.65m (5ft 5in) tall while Shilton towered over him at 1.86m (6ft 1in)!
He said he scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." Ultimately, this goal became known as the ‘Hand of God’.
Perhaps what Maradona said was true, that God did help him in certain ways, as four minutes later, he scored his second — an amazing solo effort, to say the least.
Maradona picked up the ball in his own half, overcame six England players, including Shilton, before squeezing a home run; FIFA subsequently called it the "Goal of the Century" in 2002.
Fans, especially from England, were obviously perturbed with Maradona's first goal. But the second goal eased the pain with some even having applauded him for it.
What a goal it was, and God was somehow with him! And after his World Cup accomplishment, ‘God’ he became to his fans back home in Argentina.
I must say this memorable goal epitomised all the qualities that Maradona possessed — dribbling skills, fitness, performance under pressure, speed and composure, topped up by a great finish.
It’s pointless if a player is able to dribble around two or three players, only to lose the ball thereafter; It would be better if he passes the ball and then moves into position for the kill shot.
Maradona, on the other hand, displayed enough confidence in his abilities to attempt a strike all by himself.
For the record, Manager Cesar Luis Menotti dropped Maradona — or ‘El Pibe de Oro’ (The Golden Kid) — from his squad at the age of 16 because he was too young for the 1978 World Cup.
Menotti was fortunate that the host nation went on to win their very first World Cup; many fans would have criticised, or even chastised, him for such a move if the result was anything less.
The following year, under Menotti’s hand, Maradona led Argentina to victory in the Under-20 World Cup in Japan, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
At club level, Maradona had played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys.
However, his stint with Napoli from 1984 to 1991 proved his capabilities as a footballer; he turned things around for them and as a result, was revered as a ‘god’ in Naples.
Maradona's dazzling play transformed the club from a poor, much-mocked city into a celebrated team with two Serie A titles to date.
What a player he was, this Maradona! We are lucky to have had witnessed this legend in the flesh.
Like Pep Guardiola says in his tribute to Maradona: "No matter what you have done with your life, Diego, it matters what you have done for our lives". — The Vibes, 11 December, 2020
