Diego Maradona's long-scorned son is performing well for the Italian beach soccer team at the world championship qualifiers here.
Diego Armando Jr, 21, played a large part in Italy's 5-2 win against Norway on Tuesday.
''Maradona did well and I'm expecting him to keep it up,'' said Italy coach Giancarlo Magrini.
After three straight wins Italy topped their group and now face either Latvia, Lithuania or Belarus in the second round.
If they win the tournament they will go into the quarter-final of the FIFA World Beach Soccer Cup next month, probably against Ukraine.
Argentine soccer legend Maradona refused to recognise his son - the product of a mid-80s affair with a Neapolitan woman - until recently.
