Diego Armando Maradona can afford to cry for joy on an emotional Wednesday night at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. The 48-year-old pudgy Argentina coach must have been the happiest man in the world on that night.
A last-gasp goal against neighbour Uruguay by unlikely hero Mario Bolatti, a second-half substitute, had put the Albiceleste through to next summer's World Cup in South Africa.
As was the case four days earlier at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina left it quite late to beat Peru with a Martin Palermo goal on a rain-soaked pitch. Palermo was also a substitute in Argentina's 2-1 win.
Maradona's team selection in the World Cup qualifying campaign had been quite bizarre and was looked upon as some kind of joke by some.
Some might question his tactical and technical nous as a soccer coach. But who can deny that this Argentine hero was a winner as a player and hailed as one of the greatest players in the world if not the best?
No doubt, like most coaches, he has his ups and downs. As national coach, Maradona had taken the boys in blue and white along some bumpy roads and had his fair share of brickbats, especially from the media, for living dangerously with his team selection.
With qualification in the bag, Maradona thanked players and fans who had their faith in him as coach but he did not spare those "who did not believe in the national team and treated me like dirt."
So far, he had fielded more than 70 players in this World Cup campaign which made him appear to be a fickle-minded coach who has yet to settle down with a stable selection of players.
But what does it matter when the man, who seems to always evoke divine help, finally vindicated himself by taking his beloved country to the finals despite a tortuous journey involving many a setback?
Argentina can boast of some of the best soccer players in the world with the likes of Lionel Messi, who plies his trade at Spanish club Barcelona, leading a new generation of players.
Other names that could well be talking points in South Africa are Carlos Tevez, Javier Macherano, Diego Milito, Gonzalo Higuain, Martin Demichelis, Pablo Aimar, Pablo Saviola and Sergio Aguero.
One player badly missed by Argentine fans is playmaker Juan Riquelme who has yet to smoke the peace pipe with Maradona. If both player and coach can come to terms, that will be a great help to the Argentine cause in South Africa.
Just imagine if Argentina had failed to qualify, the 2010 World Cup would be missing the prospect of a potential grudge match between the Albiceleste and the Three Lions (that's England). And a return match between Argentina and Brazil would surely light up the World Cup finals.
Meanwhile, there's more homework to be done for Maradona and the squad. Okay, Argentina's overall performance in the qualifying campaign leaves much to be desired and Maradona will need to put his house in order by welding his players into a workable team.
Come South Africa, they will be facing a tough bunch of teams with the same aspiration to win the greatest prize in world soccer - the 2010 World Cup.
To get there from here, can Maradona continue to bank on divine aid to achieve spectacular results?
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