Argentina Qualify

Uruguay 0 : 1 Argentina

Six minutes remained on the clock in Montevideo when Mario Bolatti scored the goal that defeated hosts and bitter rivals Uruguay, and sent Diego Maradona’s Argentina to the World Cup Finals. At the same time, Ecuador were losing in Chile and will miss out. Argentina join Chile, Brazil and Paraguay in the finals, but Uruguay now face a two legged play-off against Costa Rica.

Maradona had succeeded Alfio Basile as coach on October 28 last year, after Argentina had won just one of its last seven games. He started well enough, beating beat Scotland 1-0 in his first game, then France 2-0 and Venezuela 4-0. Then came that catastrophic trip to the altitude of La Paz where Bolivia hammered his side 6-1. It was followed by defeats to Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay, and the CONMEBOL League table told an unthinkable story – Argentina were not going to qualify for the World Cup.

But a last minute winner against bottom side Peru on Saturday coupled with yesterday’s win against a Uruguay side reduced to ten men, have staved off that unthinkable and now the sky blue and white stripes will be represented in South Africa.

Maradona lashed out angrily at the media at an emotional press conference for failing to back him.

After the victory over Uruguay, he apparently used the crudest terms to attack repeatedly ‘those who did not believe’.

“I would like to thank the team for the privilege they have done me by taking me to the World Cup and (to thank) the people who traveled here. However … there are people who do not deserve thanks,” he said, in a veiled assault aimed at the press who  – along with most of the planet – questioned his suitability for the job. That criticism had reached a crescendo just before the Peru match amidst reports of a bust up with team manager Carlos Bilardo which Maradona angrily denied.

“You made up the problems with Bilardo,” Maradona charged.

With no serious coaching experience, the decision to appoint Maradona was seen by some as an exercise in hero worship, worthy of Newcastle United, but for a hero whose star had long since faded. For now Maradona has had the last laugh, but the press pack will have only momentarily shelved their bows and arrows, pending possible humiliation in the World Cup finals.

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