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It was on this day, July 11, 12 years ago when even the overzealous 2010 Fifa World Cup final referee Howard Webb could not steal the thunder from Andrés Iniesta.
The decider between Spain and the Netherlands at FNB Stadium saw the English match official dishing out a record 14 cards as he also sent off Dutch defender John Heitinga for two bookable offences.
However, the most memorable moment was that of Iniesta in extra time when the then Barcelona midfielder struck the decisive goal that handed Spain the World Cup trophy.
On this day in 2010, Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal as Spain won the World Cup! ??pic.twitter.com/DmPLgqJUYY
— GOAL (@goal) July 11, 2019
La Roja, as the Iberians are known, advanced through a group that had Chile, Switzerland and Honduras.
Spain beat Paraguay in the quarterfinals and Germany in the semifinals to set up a final with the Dutch.
READ: Fifa World Cup: Where are Bafana’s ‘class of 2010’ members?
At 38, Iniesta is still playing professional club football, making him among a handful of regular XI from Spain’s class of 2010 who are still actively involved at competitive level.
The maestro, known to some as El Ilusionista, is currently playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan where he is also the captain of the J-League powerhouse.
READ: 30 years on: SA’s mixed fortunes in world football
Although he retired from international football in 2018, Iniesta’s moment of brilliance against the Dutch in the 116th minute at the Calabash on that chilly afternoon of July 11 will remain etched in the memories of South Africans.
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