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According to the
Argentinian news agency, Telam, Diego Maradona has settled on his final
23-man squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where
they will come up against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their opening game,
before concluding their Group B fixtures with matches against South
Korea and Greece.

Regulars such as
reigning world player of the year, Lionel Messi, Walter Samuel, Javier
Mascherano, and Maradona’s son-in-law, Sergio Aguero, all made it into
the final squad.

But the biggest
surprise came with the inclusion of Inter Milan forward, Diego Milito,
and defender, Ariel Garce, whose first cap for Argentina came in the
4-0 demolition of Haiti.

Milito has been in
breathtaking form for Inter Milan this season but the 30-year-old
looked unlikely to make the cut, with Maradona thought to have already
made up his mind on taking five forwards to the World Cup. However, in
a typical erratic fashion, Maradona has pulled a U-turn and elected to
take the Inter man to South Africa after all.

A lesser surprise
was the inclusion of on-loan Liverpool midfielder, Maxi Rodriguez. For
much of the year, the AtleticoMadrid player appeared certain to miss
the World Cup. But he will be breathing a sigh of relief and will feel
vindicated in his decision to find more first-team action at the
English Premier League side.

Seven players,
however, had to make way for the lucky 23 from Maradona’s original list
of 30 players, and they are Newcastle of England defender, Fabricio
Coloccini; Olympiakos of Greece winger, Jesus Datolo; Ezequiel Lavezzi
of Italian side Napoli; and the Argentina-based quartet of Sebastian
Blanco (Lanus), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Juan Mercier (Argentinos), and
Juan Insaurralde (Newell’s).

The squad goalkeepers – Sergio Romero AZ Alkmaar (NED); Mariano
Andújar Catania (ITA); and Diego Pozo Colon (ARG). Defenders – Nicolás
Otamendi Velez Sarsfield (ARG); Gabriel Heinze Marseille (FRA); Martín
Demichelis Bayern Munich (GER); Walter Samuel Inter (ITA); Ariel Garcé
Colón (ARG); Nicolás Burdisso Roma (ITA); and Clemente Rodríguez
Estudiantes (ARG). Midfielders – Juan Sebastian Verón Estudiantes
(ARG); Javier Mascherano Liverpool (ENG); Jonás Gutiérrez Newcastle
(ENG); Ángel Di María Benfica (POR); Maximiliano Rodríguez Liverpool
(ENG); Javier Pastore Palermo (ITA); and Mario Bolatti Fiorentina (TA).
Forwards – Lionel Messi Barcelona (ESP); Gonzalo Higuaín Real Madrid
(ESP); Carlos Tévez Manchester City (ENG); Sergio Agüerio Atlético
Madrid (ESP); Diego Milito Inter (ITA); and Martín Palermo Boca Juniors
(ARG).