Diego Maradona took over as Argentina coach yesterday, saying he wanted total loyalty from his players.

"It is an honour for me," he told reporters after being presented by Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona. "This is a dream come true but the dream must continue with work.

"I'm looking for absolute loyalty from my players, they must be made of steel," added the 48-year-old former playmaker who will take charge for the first time for the friendly in Scotland on Nov. 19.

Maradona, who captained Argentina to their 1986 World Cup triumph after scoring the notorious 'Hand of God' goal earlier in the tournament, takes over from Alfio Basile who quit last month after a World Cup qualifying defeat by Chile.

The appointment is a remarkable personal achievement for Maradona, one of the all-time greats of football who suffered three doping bans as a player and since retiring has fought against drug addiction, alcohol problems and obesity.

Four years ago he spent 10 days in the intensive care unit of a Buenos Aires hospital.

Maradona, who said he wanted Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to captain his team, was chosen despite having no coaching experience apart from two brief stints with club sides Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club in the mid-1990s.

Newspaper opinion polls showed around 70 per cent of those interviewed disagreed with his appointment.