via FIFA
Not for the first time, Salvador Cabanas had the Estadio Azteca eating out of the palm of his hand. Returning to the field of play 18 months after the shooting that almost killed him, the Guaraní striker was back at the temple of Mexican football, appearing in a match between America and Paraguay, the two teams closest to his heart.
Carrying only a little more weight than when his career was cruelly interrupted, Cabanas looked the part too, looking for the ball at every opportunity and bringing joy to the hearts of the 30,000 fans who turned up to pay tribute to him and give thanks for his inspiring recovery.
The entertainment began with the hero of the day receiving a standing ovation as he walked out on to the pitch, at the centre of which was a large banner that read: “Great is the man who keeps on fighting.” After taking receipt of a Paraguay shirt signed by his colleagues in the national team and various gifts bestowed on him by America, the club he was playing for when he was shot, it was on to the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Sporting the captain’s armband and the blue and yellow of Las Águilas, Cabanas stood over the ball in the centre-circle and got the game underway. With his team-mates looking to get the ball to him at every opportunity, Chava was in the thick of the action, spreading the play with élan and every firing off a dangerous shot on goal.
Ten minutes later he was making his way off the pitch, though the show did not end with his substitution. Embarking on an emotional lap of honour, he milked the rapturous applause of the crowd, just as he used to when terrorising defences, touching his chest and kissing the badge on his shirt as he went.
Making a quick detour to the dressing room, he then emerged once more in a Paraguay shirt, showing further touches of his class alongside his Albirroja team-mates before retiring from the field of play ten minutes later, this time for good.
Struggling to express his emotions at the end of a highly charged day, Cabanas had only this to say: “This has been a wonderful occasion for my family and I. I’d like to thank all Americanistas for all the love they have shown me through the good times and bad.”