Maradona Tributes the Backdrop as Rattled Napoli Aim to Bounce Back

Naples-born Lorenzo Insigne wearing Napoli's special kit honoring Maradona earlier this month Carlo Hermann. AFP/File
Naples-born Lorenzo Insigne wearing Napoli's special kit honoring Maradona earlier this month Carlo Hermann. AFP/File
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Maradona Tributes the Backdrop as Rattled Napoli Aim to Bounce Back

Naples-born Lorenzo Insigne wearing Napoli's special kit honoring Maradona earlier this month Carlo Hermann. AFP/File
Naples-born Lorenzo Insigne wearing Napoli's special kit honoring Maradona earlier this month Carlo Hermann. AFP/File

Napoli will pay tribute to Diego Maradona on Sunday when they host Lazio hoping to put two painful and costly consecutive defeats behind them.

The football world honored Maradona on the anniversary of his death on Thursday but Napoli are using this weekend's fixture to enable Neapolitans to finally say goodbye at the place where their icon was most at home, AFP said.

On Thursday Napoli told supporters to arrive at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona over three hours early so they could be in the stands for an "intense" commemoration ceremony dedicated to the man who led a previously mediocre team to their only two Serie A titles and the 1989 UEFA Cup.

Maradona remains a God-like figure in Naples, where children are still named Diego in his honor and murals of the Argentine can be found all over the city, despite his grisly fall from grace at the end of his turbulent seven years in southern Italy, a failed drugs test and details of a sordid private life dogging him as he fled back to Buenos Aires in 1991.

Now Napoli fans will be able to collectively express their love for Maradona in the stadium where he weaved magic at the peak of his career, after being locked out by Covid-19 a year ago.

"Naples was always there for dad, and he was always there for Naples," says his son Diego Maradona Junior in a recent Sky Italia documentary.

"You see a sticker in a car, or a mural, or a kid on the street who has a top with Maradona written on the back, and that fills me with pride because he gave the people of my city unending joy."

Napoli will be hoping for a boost from the pre-match events as they take on Lazio off the back of losses at Inter Milan and Spartak Moscow.

The 3-2 defeat at the San Siro last weekend was Napoli's first of the league season, cut the gap between the league leaders and champions Inter to four points and cost them their star striker Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen is expected to be out of action for three months after fracturing his left cheek and eye socket in a sickening clash of heads with Milan Skriniar.

To make matters worse their hopes of making the Europa League knockouts are still in the balance following a fraught 2-1 defeat in Moscow on Wednesday.

Napoli's bid to maintain their Serie A lead has also been hit by the absence of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who has been a revelation in midfield since arriving in the summer on loan from Fulham.

AC Milan, who are level on 32 points with Napoli and on a high after their win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, host Sassuolo with coach Stefano Pioli set to sign an extension to his contract which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2023.

Juventus meanwhile travel to high-flying Atalanta still reeling from their 4-0 demolition at Chelsea, four points behind their opponents who sit in the final Champions league spot.

Player to watch: Giovanni SimeoneWhile Napoli prepare to give Maradona the send off they would have liked to a year ago, another Argentine in the shape of Simeone is making waves in Italy.

After striking against both Juventus and Napoli in recent weeks, Simeone is having the best season of his life on loan at Verona under Igor Tudor and has scored his nine Serie A goals in his last eight matches.

Verona travel to struggling Sampdoria with the European places in their sights thanks to the 26-year-old's red hot form.



African players in Europe: Salah Drives Liverpool Closer to Title

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
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African players in Europe: Salah Drives Liverpool Closer to Title

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP

Egypt star Mohamed Salah scored one goal and created the other as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 at the weekend, a win that pushed the Reds ever closer to the Premier League title.

Salah has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season, including nine in his last eight matches for leaders Liverpool.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the top European leagues:

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

He was the catalyst of a victory that moved the table toppers a giant step closer to the title. Salah netted with a deflected strike from a clever corner routine in the 14th minute. The 32-year-old then showed his strength and desire by getting past City defender Josko Gvardiol before whipping over a cross that Dominik Szoboszlai converted.

BETO (Everton)

The Guinea-Bissau striker reached 10 goals in all competitions this term after scoring in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. Beto struck for the fifth time in his last five appearances, firing past United goalkeeper Andre Onana in the 19th minute to put Everton ahead. Mali international Abdoulaye Doucoure was the other Everton scorer.

YOANE WISSA, BRYAN MBEUMO (Brentford)

Democratic Republic of Congo forward Wissa put the Bees on course for a 4-0 win at lowly Leicester, while Cameroon forward Mbeumo also scored. Wissa bagged the 17th-minute opener with a close-range finish before Mbeumo scored 10 minutes later with a fine finish. Mbeumo has 15 goals in all competitions this season, and Wissa 13.

ITALY - ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA)

The Nigerian international took his season's Serie A goals tally to 12 after a brace in the 5-0 demolition of Empoli, which kept his third-placed side within three points of leaders Inter Milan. Lookman scored two classy goals, but the forward seemed unconvinced about suggestions his spat with coach Gian Piero Gasperini was over. Gasperini angered Lookman after Tuesday's Champions League elimination by Club Brugge, calling his star attacker the worst penalty taker he had ever seen. Asked by Sky Sport if the row was behind him, Lookman shrugged his shoulders and said "finished?", fuelling rumours of a mid-year exit.

GERMANY - SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Sizzling Guirassy scored four goals as Borussia demolished Union Berlin 6-0 to keep their slim Bundesliga top-four hopes alive. The Guinea international put Dortmund two goals ahead before half-time through a header. His other three goals -- a left-foot rocket, a tap-in and another header -- came in nine second-half minutes.

AMINE ADLI (Bayer Leverkusen)

Making his first start since fracturing his leg in October, Adli scored and laid on an assist as Leverkusen won 2-0 at Holstein Kiel to keep in touch with leaders Bayern Munich. The Moroccan latched on to an inch-perfect pass and chipped the ball into the net just before half-time.

FRANCE - ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

The Morocco star, runner-up for the 2024 African footballer of the year prize, is having a tremendous season for PSG and scored twice in the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-2 win at Lyon. It is just the second time he has scored twice in one game for PSG since joining the club from Inter Milan in 2021.

MESCHACK ELIA (Nantes)

The DR Congo winger came off the bench to score a late goal which clinched a precious 3-1 win for struggling Nantes over Lens. It was a first goal for the former TP Mazembe player since joining Nantes from Swiss side Young Boys on loan this month.