Argentine legend Caniggia arrives in Dhaka for two day visit
Argentina great Claudio Caniggia, a member of the country's 1990 World Cup final side, arrived in Dhaka on Sunday for a two-day visit, taking on the role of special guest at the Dhaka Interschool Champions League final, an event jointly organised by Fortis FC and Sportsmagica.
News of the former Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta teammate's visit emerged on Sunday, with organisers confirming his attendance as the main attraction at the final of a tournament featuring 36 English-medium schools across Dhaka. Bangladesh International Tutorial and Navy College, Dhaka, will contest the final on Monday.
Organisers said the primary purpose of Caniggia's trip is to inspire young and emerging footballers in Bangladesh. The forward earned worldwide recognition for his performances at the 1990 World Cup, converting a late pass from Maradona to eliminate Brazil in a memorable last-16 tie in Turin, before scoring the equaliser against hosts Italy in the semi-final to send Argentina through to the final.
Those performances cemented his legendary status among Argentine supporters. Across a 15-year international career, Caniggia scored 16 goals in 50 appearances for his country, and continued playing club football until 2012, a decade after his international retirement in 2002.
Now 59, Caniggia will spend his first day in Bangladesh entirely with Fortis FC, one of the country's leading football clubs. He is expected to tour the club's facilities and hold discussions with organisers about the development of youth football in Bangladesh, with talks also planned around potential future collaboration on grassroots football initiatives.
The Dhaka Interschool Champions League final kicks off at 3:15pm at Fortis Downtown Resort and Ground, followed by the trophy presentation and closing ceremony. Organisers will then hold a press conference with Caniggia later in the afternoon.
On the second day of his visit, the Argentine legend is scheduled to attend a concert and take part in several commercial activities arranged by Sportsmagica.