Paraguay still in shock over striker's shooting

Reuters

BULLET IN HEAD: Paraguay's Salvador Cabanas celebrates scoring a goal during a World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela. Cabanas remains in hospital after being shot in the head.

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Imagine Richie McCaw or Dan Carter getting shot in the head and fighting for his life, five months before the Rugby World Cup.

That's the incredible situation All Whites's World Cup opponents Paraguay have found themselves in after pivotal striker Salvador Cabanas was shot in a bar in Mexico last week.

The small South American country has been in national shock and thousands have poured into churches and stadia to pray for a quick recovery.

The same scenes repeated themselves in Mexico where Cabanas is one of the star attraction for leading side America, and thousands gathered in the iconic Azteca Stadium to plead with the heavens and console each other.

And the prayers worked, according to the locals in Asuncion, as Cabanas soon regained consciousness. He has been speaking with family and even started eating.

The Paraguayan media have already dubbed the recovery the ''Marshall's Miracle'' after striker's nickname and some doctors think he might make an astounishing comeback to the World Cup.

''The doctors played their part, but God certainly gave a helping hand,'' said Dr Alfonso Diaz, the team doctor of America, Cabanas's Mexican club side.

In Paraguay, radio and television bulletins are giving hourly updates on the state of their superstar who scored six times during the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Newspapers are running daily updates, special video homages while local rock band La Secreta has already recorded a special tribute tribute song pleading with the footballer to make a quick recovery.

Paraguay team doctor Aldo Martinez, who had rushed to Mexico, spoke of  a ''miracle' but cautioned his fellow countrymen not to get carried away and keep praying.

''Medicine is not an exact science. We know he is improving and we take it one day at the time.''

Mexican neurosurgeon Dr Ernesto Martinez on Friday said any World Cup hopes are far to premature and said it was unsure if Cabanas will ever play football again.

''He is making slow progress but it is too early to say if he will play again soon,'' he told newspaper Ultima Hora. "He is very strong and moving well, but to play football he will first have to walk, then run and then will have to develop the coordination and strategies of the mind needed to play.''

The bullet will remain lodged in Cabanas skull as it is too dangerous to remove, and he remains in a critical condition after Martinez last week drained blood from the brain area.

* Coen Lammers will be part of the Stuff.co.nz team covering the World Cup from South Africa later this year.

- © Fairfax NZ News