MIRI: Former Sarawak coaches Pengiran Bala and Mohamad Hakimi Man are saddened by the demise of Argentina’s football wizard Diego Maradona, remembering him as a football genius.
Maradona died on Wednesday at his home in Buenos Aires suburbs after suffering a heart attack. He was 60.
“We are saddened by Maradona’s passing as we grew up inspired by him and his exceptional exploits and amazing skills on the field,” said Pengiran.
Pengiran Bala
The former state player watched Maradona set alight the World Cup in 1986 with some of the most memorable and exciting moments in world football, as the stocky maestro led Argentina to a World Cup title.
“Diego Maradona was an inspiration and icon to the footballing world because of his extraordinary left foot, balance and intelligence on the field,“ he said when contacted for comments yesterday.
Adored in his homeland for his exploits for the national team and in Italy for taking Napoli to two Serie A titles, Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
He was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time before drug and alcohol addiction marred his career.
Pengiran still remembers vividly the 1986 World Cup final when Argentina beat a formidable West Germany side.
Even more memorable was the controversial 2-1 victory inflicted against England in the quarter-final where he scored with his hand and later cheekily described it as a ‘Hand of God’.
Maradona also scored the second goal after a breathtaking solo where he dribbled the ball past six England players, including goalkeeper Peter Shilton, which was later voted as FIFA’s goal of the century.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Hakimi also shared his view on the passing of Maradona.
Mohamad Hakimi Man
“Diego Maradona is regarded as an extraordinary playmaker who strived tirelessly to help Argentina defeat the Germans at the World Cup in 1986,” he recalled.
“Although they were trailing 0-2, Maradona did not give up and kept pushing forward in creating opportunities for his teammates to score in a remarkable comeback through goals by Jose Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga.
“We watched the final live at the time and it was obvious that Diego Maradona was the best player who was instrumental in Argentina’s victory,” Mohamad Hakimi said.
His skills made him the idol of many present-day players, he added.
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