Sergio Anaya

Sergio Enrique Anaya Basave (born 22 May 1942) is a retired Mexican football player and manager. Nicknamed "Xelajú", he played in Guatemala for Xelajú as the first Mexican to play in the Liga Nacional as well as playing in Mexico for León and Pumas UNAM throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. He also represented Mexico internationally in the late 1960s.

Youth career Sergio was born on 22 May 1942 at Mexico City before shortly moving to Guatemala with his three brothers and four sisters. He initially didn't care much about football but was later inspired by a goal scored by his older brother whilst he was playing for a local club known as Real Santa María. Later on when he was between the ages of 12 and 13, Anaya played in the amateur leagues of Mexico City with many clubs wanting to sign him due to his speed and talents. He later played for Loreto alongside other players such as , and Mario Velarde. He later transferred to the amateur leagues of Venustiano Carranza for both Ferretera Tacuba and Xelajú, mainly playing as a forward but also playing as an emergency goalkeeper if none were available at the moment.

Club career Anaya made his debut at 17 years of age for Xelajú in 1959. He contributed to the club's golden age throughout the 1960s, winning both the and under club manager Arnoldo Camposeco. He also participated in various editions of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, notably playing in the tense games against Haitan club Racing CH in the 1963 CONCACAF Champions' Cup alongside Chacatay López. Throughout his career with the club, he often had great chemistry with central defender Humberto Vanderkam as the two corroborated each other's movements and choices. His career with Xelajú would allow him to demonstrate a freer style of play not seen back in Mexico throughout his eight seasons with 51 goals. Soon enough, he had managed to catch the interest of other clubs in Central America as following the 1964–65 season, FAS and Águila of El Salvador expressed interest in signing him following Xelajú wanting to sell him. However, recent León manager Luis Grill Prieto traveled to Guatemala City to sign Anaya for the club.

He made his debut in the inaugural match against Monterrey but despite the signing, Anaya had desired to return to Guatemala with this being extensively discussed amongst the local press to the point of catching the attention of club president Alfonso Sánchez. During the match against América on 27 March 1966 for the , he played a significant role in the Esmeraldas triumphing and reaching the final against Necaxa. The following loss in the final convinced the upper management that the foreign players they had signed held the team back and, in the following, 1966–67 season, only Mexican players were allowed to play and for a brief time, the club had some modicum of success as they won the following successes over Deportivo Toluca and Nexaca. Throughout this generation, he developed a sense of comradery with goalkeeper Tongolele Muñoz, Olegario Montalvo Roberto López, Efraín, and Gil Loza, Pachuco López, Salvador Enríquez, Carlos Barajas, Gabriel Mata and Luis Estrada with Anaya especially typically playing alongside Estrada as he helped Estrada be the top goal scorer of the 1968–69 Mexican Primera División. Anaya himself would later achieve this feat during the 1970 Mexican Primera División.