Argentina head coach Diego Maradona has ironically called for fair play from Nigeria in their opener in Group B on Saturday.
Maradona, who was infamously sent home from USA ’94 for doping and subsequently suspended for 15 months, has cheekily asked for referees to ensure that their African counterparts play fair.
“We know how Nigeria play and they know how we play. We don’t expect to play a rough and tough team, although we’re ready to play any team,” the 49-year-old said in the Telegraph.
“Let’s really look for fair play and referees should understand what fair play is.
“When fair play started in 1990 I got a kick from a Cameroon player who nearly kicked my head off.
“Claudio Caniggia got a yellow card for a small kick and I nearly got kicked in the head.
“We’ve been through that but we want good football, we want fair play, we want to enjoy the match.
“If you don’t want to play clean football, go into the stands. People want to see football and we want people to watch football peacefully without violence.”
Seemingly, Maradona’s philosophy on fair play has changed in the last decade. Argentina face Nigeria at 12.30pm on Saturday in Ellis Park.
