JOHANNESBURG: Argentina coach Diego Maradona is set to unleash his formidable trio of goal poachers to get Argentina off to a flying start at the World Cup against Nigeria today.
The Argentines may have stumbled across the finish line in qualification for South Africa 2010, but Maradona has at his disposal a squad of sumptuous talent in his first World Cup as coach. The two-time world champions boast a salivating forward line of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain and coach Maradona in tinkering with pitching in all three in an attacking 3-4-3 formation at Ellis Park.
Between them the dazzling trio netted more than 80 league goals last term for Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Indications are that Maradona, who inspired Argentina as the world’s greatest player to World Cup triumph in 1986, will go with a three-man backline enabling him to field a three-man strike-force. Today’s opening Group B game offers Messi, the world’s best player, an ideal stage to stake an early claim as the star of the tournament, given his sensational club form with Barcelona.
Argentina have beaten Nigeria twice at the World Cup - 1-0 in 2002 and 2-1 in 1994 - and will be under pressure to come through their opening match with a win to set a platform for a crack at a third world title.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 12th, 2010.
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