Argentina 2-1 Nigeria (1994)
By William Nestor
The date was 25 June 1994, the place was Foxborough Stadium, USA. The player was Diego Maradona.
On day eight of USA ’94 the football world was rocked by the news that Argentina legend Diego Maradona had been sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping.
Maradona was unaware that it would be his final time to pull on the Argentine shirt for the group match against Nigeria. Claudio Caniggia scored twice in the 2-1 win on that infamous day but Argentina were to be knocked out in the second round by minnows Romania.
The current Argentina head coach disputed the test result and claimed his personal trainer gave him the power drink Rip Fuel. Maradona’s claim was that the US version of the drink, unlike the Argentine one, contained the chemical which rendered his test a failure.
The 15-month suspension handed down by FIFA is the longest ever recorded in World Cup history.
Maradona scored one goal in USA ’94, playing in just two games before being sent home. In total, the controversial player appeared 91 times for his country, netting 34 goals.
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