Emotional Luis Díaz scores brace for Colombia with father in attendance days after kidnaping release،
Days after being freed by his captors, the father of Colombian striker Luis Díaz was in tears Thursday after watching his son score both goals in a 2-1 win over Brazil in a qualifying match for the World Cup.
Wearing a Colombian jersey and necklace, Luis Manuel Díaz bumped into some people next to him in the stands of the Metropolitano stadium and cried alongside his wife, Cilenis Marulanda, as he celebrated.
Luis Manuel Díaz was held captive for 12 days in a mountainous region by ELN guerrillas. He was reunited with his family on Tuesday.
“I thank God. He makes all this possible. We have always had difficult times, but life makes you strong and courageous. So does football and so does life,” Luis Díaz said after the match. “We deserved this victory.”
INCREDIBLE MOMENTS OUTSIDE COLOMBIA!
LUIS DIAZ SCORES TWO GOALS IN FIVE MINUTES TO TAKE A LEAD OVER BRAZIL!
FOOTBALL ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QdjcKBBEWQ
–ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 17, 2023
Díaz scored both goals with his head, the first in the 75th minute and the second in the 79th. It was Colombia’s first victory against Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in 15 matches.
“He’s a friend, he’s suffered a lot these days. It goes beyond football, he deserves it,” said Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, Díaz’s teammate at Liverpool.
On October 28, gunmen on motorcycles kidnapped Díaz’s parents from a gas station in the town of Barrancas. Her mother was rescued within hours by police, who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000, near the Venezuelan border.
Díaz and Colombia will face Paraguay next Tuesday.
