Diego Maradona has been celebrated far and wide, and in a corner of Waterkloof, Pretoria, where the residence of the Ambassador of Argentine is situated, the giant light blue and white flag with its sun is flying at half-mast.
Ambassador Alberto Pedro D’Alotto has reflected on the Maradona legend who was an ambassador for his country as he played and travelled the world.
He was undoubtedly the best player in history, with his greatest “Hand of God” goal in Mexico against England in the quarter finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, said D’Alotto. Argentina went on to beat Germany in the final.
The relationship with football across the Atlantic includes many South African footballers adopting the name Maradona and tributes from the likes of SAFA’s Danny Jordaan who said the player and coach had helped bring the World Cup to Africa.
“His death at the age of 60 is not only sadness for the Argentinians but also for people in the planet who love football,” said D’Alotto.
“He was an extraordinary player, defined more than an athlete, an artist who shone in the soccer field. He was world champion in 1986, and Director Coach of the National Team and in 2010 he came to South Africa for the World Cup.”
The Argentinian team was based at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria and played Nigeria at Ellis Park, Korea at FNB, Greece at Peter Mokaba and Mexico at FNB. They lost to Germany at Cape Town Stadium in the knock-out phase.
“Argentina share with South Africa the passion for football and believes, as Madiba pointed out, "the sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that few other things do”.
As an excellent opportunity to render tribute, in 2021 Argentina and South Africa will strengthen ties in football and develop technical cooperation between our countries, D’Alotto said.
President of Argentina Alberto Fernandez declared three days of national mourning and All Argentina’s embassies bid farewell to Diego Maradona with flags flying at half- mast.
After lying in state, Maradona was buried on the outskirts of Buenos Aires during a private family service. - Val Boje