‘God wants’ Argentina to be in World Cup final: Maradona

CAPE TOWN - Ahead of Saturday’s crunch Argentina-Germany World Cup quarterfinal, Argentina coach Diego Maradona has said that “God wants” his team to win the game and reach the final.

“I came across a group of kids yesterday and they said, ‘Diego, we want to be in the final. Can you give us that?’ I told them, ‘Calm down, boys. In the end, we will see what happens and, if God wants us to be at the final, you will see us there, but I know that is what God wants,” The Sun quoted Maradona, as saying.

“I have spoken to my father, Don Diego. My old man is not in the best of health and has some problems. He said if we reach the final, he will come out here to see us win. He said to me, ‘Do what you did in 1986, son’. We will attack. We must not give away the ball in the way we did against Mexico,” he added.

Hitting back at Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger’s comments, where he accused Argentina of being disrespectful and of trying to influence referees, Maradona said that his players would make Germany pay for the allegations.

“We will not forget what Schweinsteiger has said. He has not treated us well at all. Schweinsteiger said we were a misfit team, but we play football. He will realize that when he sees what we do on the pitch against him,” Maradona said.

“We will show them by playing football, by what we do with the ball. I will see to that. I’m very happy with the players I have and I know they will do a perfect job for this team,” he added. (ANI)