Buenos Aires, October 29:

Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona capped a remarkable comeback from a near fatal heart attack four years ago to being named coach of the national side on Tuesday.

Maradona, who has no top level coaching experience, said he hoped to repeat the success of the 1986 World Cup when as a player he inspired them virtually singlehandedly to the title. He will be assisted in that mission of winning the 2010 World Cup by another integral member

of the 1986 set-up coach Carlos Bilardo, who will be the director of football.

Their respective roles were rubberstamped at a meeting with Argentinian Football Association

president Julio Grondona. Maradona’s international career came to an ignominious end when he failed a dope test at the 1994 World Cup.

Maradona — who also was part of the Argentina that muscled their way into the 1990 final but lost 1-0 to West Germany — won crucial support last week when the man charged with finding Alfio Basile’s successor threw his weight behind the World Cup winning skipper.