If you had asked me a few decades ago, what would you give to play in a game with Maradona? The response would have been ‘anything’. The same question a few years back would generate a response somewhere along the lines of ‘yeh right’. But there I was last night in my prime, eye-to-eye with the Argentinean legend, who without any doubt was past his.
The ‘pick-up’ game was organized by Dubai Media in regards to their recent reality TV show – Victorious under the watchful eyes of Diego Maradona, Michel Salgado and Jihad Muntasir (ex-Libyan international). The show aims to bring together young Arab talent from the Middle East and North African regions giving them opportunity to win $100,000 in prize money and a shot at trying out at one of the top clubs in Europe (TBC but clubs like Juventus, Hamburg, Corinthians and Real Madrid are being considered).
Getting back to last night, sensing perhaps that Diego’s skills might have given up on him, I was swayed by the precision and power those calves of his still carry. His passion for the game cannot be argued against as with every successful kick you could hear him blurting out “eso” in Spanish, explicitly. He managed to huff and puff his way through the two halves, entertaining us with a few sublime passes before storming off the field for whatsoever reason. Well, that’s Diego I guess.
But it was a hell of a pick-up game as it was not only graced by the presence of the hand of god but also Egyptian international Mohamed Abdullah Zidan who was kind enough to pose for a selfie. But his skill on the ball was what was mesmerizing. His soft touches along with speed – was impossible to stop him without bringing him down. Still wonder why he had left Europe though?
Then there was ex-Spanish international Michel Salgado whose hairline does not seem to deceive him. Neither did his speed on the ball nor the aptitude for one-touch passes take in. We managed to elegantly put a few one-two’s together before I messed it up.
The game was also braced by Emirati super star Omar Abdul Rahman who traveled right after an AG League game (in which he did not feature) in Al Ain against Baniyas with Mohammed Fawzi – another upcoming Emirati footballer who scored the lone goal for Baniyas a few hours ago. How could they miss this opportunity? It was evident why 3moory (short for Omar Abdul Rahman) is being talked about in the European scenes. Though his major weakness would be his frame but he somehow manages to break that thought with his nimble touches. Touches that managed to bring in a few goals.
I could go on, but you get the idea. If there’s a better time and place to fulfill an opportunity of a lifetime, I would not know of it. As almost always, the smile on my face was like when I was a kid on the streets of Dubai playing with friends.
Of course, it didn’t feel like Dubai; it felt a bit like what heaven sounds like.
PS: A moment of gratitude towards @figo29 for setting me up with DMI and the “Victorious” for setting the game up.
