South America’s gauchos are renowned for toughing things out in harsh conditions — but few would have seen much wisdom in changing their horses in mid-stream, as Argentina did last November.

The two-time world champions appointed Diego Maradona — national hero as a player, but a coaching novice — as the man to lead them towards next summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

By Wednesday night, the albiceleste and their fans will know whether the decision to bring in el pibe de oro (the golden boy) to replace Alfio Basile was inspired or crass. Basile made a mediocre start to the qualifiers but, under Maradona, things have gone from bad to worse and failure to beat Uruguay in Montevideo will leave his team having to limp through the playoffs against an opponent from Central America.

Should Argentina lose, they may not even make the playoffs — if Ecuador, two points behind them, win in Chile.

That a team boasting the talent of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, to name but two, should be having to walk the razor’s edge as they tiptoe towards South Africa says much for the current state of morale in the squad. Argentina just edged minnows Peru at home last Saturday after Martin Palermo, a veteran who once missed three penalties in one international, managed to find the net in stoppage time.

Now Messi and company have to show that six defeats in 17 games were mere accidents rather than symbolic of a team which does not seem to have a strategy.

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