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Playing against Maradona was like facing a lion –US ’94 Eagles stars
Nov 29, 2020
Ebenezer Bajela and Toni Ufoh
Members of the Super Eagles squad to the 1994 World Cup in the United States have paid glowing tributes to the legendary Diego Maradona, who died of cardiac arrest in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
The former Eagles stars revealed how the Argentine’s trickery and ball sense caused problems for Clemens Westerhof side during their group tie 26 years ago.
The Eagles, were on cloud nine after their opening 3-0 win over Bulgaria at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas, but they were brought down to earth three days later at the Foxborough stadium by Maradona’s ingenuity, as the South Americans came back from a goal down, Samson Siasia’s 12th minute opener, to triumph 2-1 over the then reigning African champions.
Claudio Caniggia grabbed both goals, firing in a rebound in the 22nd minute after Maradona passed to Gabriel Batistuta, who fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Again, it was Maradona’s genius that created the second goal in the 29th minute.
The Argentina captain saw Caniggia break into space on the left, while getting ready to take a free-kick, and quickly sent a short pass to him.
Caniggia took two steps inside the penalty area, before swerving his shot past the stranded Peter Rufai, in goal for the Eagles.
Former Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh, who was tasked with the responsibility of keeping close tabs on Maradona, said it took him two days to recover after marking the legend.
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