For Argentine fans, the image remains endearing. Augustin Mazzilli rolled the ball into an empty goal and then celebrated by sitting on the backboards in the 2016 Rio Olympic final against Belgium. With 16 seconds to go, Argentina were 4-2 ahead, the gold medal as good as secured.

Befittingly it was Mazzilli’s goal, albeit scored when the Red Lions withdrew their goalkeeper, that sealed his country’s first ever global title at senior level.

The 32-year-old midfielder/ forward has scintillated in the famous blue-and-white shirt with his great ball-handling, 3-D skills  and electric pace with which he scored a Maradona-like individual goal in a four-nation tournament encounter against England in Glasgow in 2014.

Mazzilli, who made his international debut in 2009, has appeared more than 225 times for Argentina. Besides the Olympic gold medal, he has a bronze from the 2014 World Cup in The Hague.

At continental level, he has collected three gold medals from the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Pan American Games and two more from the 2013 and 2017 Pan American Cup events.

Mazzilli has been around Europe as well after leaving his home club Lomas. He joined KHC Leuven, then Leopold in Belgium before moving to the Netherlands where he assisted Oranje-Rood before joining Pinoke.

Los Leones will look forward to the effervescent attacking midfielder for a strong defence of the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 where they will pit wits against pool rivals Australia, New Zealand, India, Spain and Japan.