Adios El Dios, you made football colourful

Football legend, Diego Maradona, passed away due to cardiac arrest at his Tigre residence on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Wednesday. He had celebrated his 60^th birthday with his family on October 30. Adulated as El Dios, or the God, in Argentina, Maradona earned a legion of fans with his two-goal wizardry in the 1986 World Cup match against England, one of the decisive turns for his country, which was converted into a championship win that year.   

Maradona’s trailblazing career was cut short because of his excesses and alcohol dependency for which he was continuing to receive treatment. He managed to cheat death in 2000 when he suffered a near-fatal heart attack attributed to cocaine abuse. He had since returned to active public life with his appointment as coach for the home team in 2008 capping his comeback.

Former Brazilian footballer Pele, also considered the greatest football player mourned the loss of fellow sportsman. Pele, 80, took to Twitter to express his grief and hopes of reuniting in the afterlife. “One day we’ll kick ball together in the sky above,” he wrote.