No easy games, say Serbian players

Belgrade - Serbian players were reserved Friday after the World Cup draw in Cape Town placed them in Group D with Germany, Ghana and Australia, saying they consider each game "crucial." "I think every match in the World Cup is crucial, the first of them certainly the most important," Wolverhampton's midfielder Nenad Milijas told radio B92. He said he knew little about Australia and Ghana.

Serbia, who were in a tough group with the Netherlands, Argentina and Ivory Coast, losing to all three, at the 2006 World Cup, are to face Ghana first, on June 13.

Striker Marko Pantelic, now with Ajax Amsterdam after leaving Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, told Beta news agency he was unconcerned with Serbia's opponents.

"I'm not interested whom we drew. The group is as it is, we should be what we are," he said. "If the Germans are happy with the draw, we should be, too."

Striker Milan Jovanovic of Standard Liege said the draw "could have been better, but also worse."

"There are no easy groups and easy opponents in football today, so our success depends only on us," he said.

"Each match is equally important, but it would be very good to have a positive result in the opener and carry the momentum further."

After Ghana, Serbia are scheduled to play Germany on June 18 and Australia on June 23. The Balkan country qualified for the World Cup on top of its group, ahead of France, which made it to South Africa through play-offs.