Paraguay keeper scores penalty hat trick

Buenos Aires - Paraguay's colourful goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert scored a hat trick on Monday.

The goals came from penalties in his club's 6-1 victory in the Argentine league.

Chilavert plays for Velez Sarsfield, who defeated Ferro Carril Oeste.

Chilavert scored in the 45th, 75th and 82nd minutes.

The hat trick, the first by a goalkeeper at this level, is just the latest feat in an amazing soccer career.

One of his most famous goals came against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier - just as he predicted before the match.

The burly 34-year-old Paraguayan, who packs a thunderous left-foot shot, is a regular free kick and penalty-taker at club and international level, and has scored 46 goals in his career.

He is also one of soccer's most outspoken players, with opposing players, soccer directors and Paraguayan politicians the subject of his verbal attacks.

He refused to play for Paraguay when they hosted this year's Copa America, saying the country could not afford to spend money on the tournament.

The world's best goalkeeper (in his opinion), he was selected as one of two goalkeepers in Fifa's all-star France '98 squad for whom Bafana Bafana star David Nyathi also played.

Chilavert is renowned as much for his extra-curricular activity as his brilliant saves and goals, once receiving a suspended prison sentence for attacking a physiotherapist.