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Maradona targets 2010 world cup victory

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-19 10:41

LONDON -- New Argentina coach Diego Maradona said Tuesday at Glasgow that he wanted nothing less than the 2010 world cup trophy.

Argentina's soccer team head coach Diego Maradona is surrounded by media as he arrives to a news conference in Glasgow, Scotland on November 18,2008. [Agencies]

The football legend will make his debut since taking charge in Wednesday's friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow and already set his sights on making the breakthrough in South Africa in 2010.

Asked whether he aimed for a place in the semifinals, Maradona told a news conference: "I don't like that at all, we're going for first. The path is to get there first, not in the top four."

Argentina won the most-coveted trophy twice - the latest is when Maradona captained the team and led them to glory in Mexico in 1986, but have failed to reach the semifinals at the last four tournaments.

While his appointment surprised many of the observers given his very limited coaching experience and history of drug and alcohol abuse, Maradona appears confident facing the challenge.

"If I hadn't accepted (the job) I'd have been a coward and I always liked challenges," said the 48-year-old, who only had two short-lived previous attempts at coaching a decade ago.

"It was what I'd been wanting for a long time. I've had my first chat with the players and I hope to get into their hearts.

"It's going to be a hard road but I needed the national team and they needed a guide like me so here we are on the same path," added Maradona.