Qotbi to analyze World Cup matches

Iran's national soccer team manager Afshin Qotbi is scheduled to travel to South Africa in order to analyze the 2010 World Cup matches in person.

The Iranian coach's trip is aimed at seeing and analyzing North Korea's matches in South Africa's World Cup which begins on June 11 and ends on July 11.

The Iranian outfit is in Group D of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, competing with World Cup qualifiers North Korea, defending champions Iraq and the UAE.

Iran will hold a training camp in Austria from July 11-24 and play a friendly match against South Korea on September 7th to prepare itself for the Asian tournament.

According to the Iranian boss, the success of the Iranian side in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup depends on its preparation.

“Asian football is on the rise and the difference in standards of teams is getting thinner. There are no clear favorites in our group. I believe, the success of Iran in the competition will depend on our preparation,” Qotbi said following the 2011 Asian Cup draw at the Aspire Dome in the Qatari capital on April 23rd.

“We're giving shape to an extensive training program and want to make steady progress,” the 46-year-old Iranian coach added.

“We've a few talented youngsters in the squad and they need more experience and exposure. We're confident of doing well, but again we need to make the right kind of build-up,” he further explained.

Draw for 2011 Asian Cup:

Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, China, Uzbekistan

Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Jordan, Syria

Group C: South Korea, India, Australia, Bahrain

Group D: Iraq, North Korea, UAE, Iran

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125509§ionid=3510211.

Australia delighted at playing Germany, coach Verbeek says - Summary

Sydney - Australia coach Pim Verbeek said Saturday that having triple-champion Germany as opening World Cup opponents was a bonus. "I love to play Germany first game," the Dutchman said. "I think it's a big game, it's a great game, and the way they play suits us very well."

But Verbeek also admitted in a statement from Cape Town that being in Group D was not ideal.

"It's a tough group but the more difficult it is for the players the bigger the challenge," he said. "We have a good record against Ghana - we have won four times against them - but Germany is one of the best teams in the world, while Serbia beat France, so every game is full of challenges."

The prospect of a possibly round of 16 game against arch-rivals England - and consequently against some fellow England Premier League players - would give that extra incentive to take a top-two place in Group D, the Dutchman said.

"First Germany and then Ghana, then Serbia," Verbeek said. "But it can be a bonus for the players, for the last 2 per cent of motivation, they can hopefully play England in the next round."

Bookmakers have rated Australia's chances of winning the World Cup at 100-1 and they are the least-backed team in Group D.

Australia last played Germany, losing 4-3, at the 2005 Confederations Cup in Frankfurt.

South Africa will only be Australia's third World Cup finals.

In West Germany in 1974, where they drew Chile, East and West Germany in the group stage, they failed to win a match. Australia qualified a second time in 2006, again in Germany. It finished second in the group before being bundled out by later champion Italy in the first knock-out round on a controversial late penalty.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, meanwhile, said that Germany rather than Australia will be under pressure to perform well in their opening match.

"Obviously, it's a massive game first up and the great thing for us is that Germany will be under all the pressure," Schwarzer told local television.

"Everyone will expect Germany to win, they'll be under enormous pressure back home to win the game and the footballing world will be thinking the same thing," he said.

"So, from our point of view, we'll go into the game and hopefully we'll perform at our best and if we do I think there's every possibility that something might happen."

Schwarzer, whose parents were immigrants from Germany and who played his early European football with Dynamo Dresden and Kaiserslautern, said that in Group D only Ghana ranked lower than Australia in FIFA rankings.

"I'm happy that people might possibly underestimate us," Schwarzer said. "That will change pretty dramatically if we do beat Germany."

Former goalkeeper Mark Bosnich also said a creditable performance against Germany would be crucial.

"If we do happen to get a good result, that can set you up for a great World Cup," the 36-year-old said. "If you get a bad result, confidence can be low."

Another 1 million World Cup tickets go on general sale

Cape Town - The third ticketing phase for the 2010 World Cup was launched by FIFA Saturday with another 1 million tickets for next year's finals in South Africa going on general sale. Approximately 680,000 tickets have so far been sold to the general public for the 64 matches in the 10 World Cup venues situated in nine host cities.

"This is a huge amount," Horst Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA's ticketing sub-committee told a press conference in Cape Town, a day after the draw for the 2010 finals.

"We are confident that our promotional activities will be a huge success."

Fans have until January 22 to apply for individual match tickets or team-specific series but a fourth sales phase will commence on February 9, followed by a final "last-minute" offer.

However, Schmidt warned fans against waiting until the final moment to purchase tickets.

"There are tickets also available last-minute but the question is what tickets and for what matches," he said.

Schmidt also revealed that 2000,000 seats have been reserved for the hospitality sector, but while he believed the World Cup would be "attractive for international demand" he also accepted the global economic crisis would take its toll on corporate sales.

"Personally I don't believe we need this full allocation for hospitality," said Schmidt, adding that any unsold tickets would then be released for general sale.

Prices for group matches range from 20 dollars to 160 dollars for the opening match on June 11 between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Tickets for the final on July 11 at the same venue will range from 100 to 600 dollars.

Category 4 tickets, the most affordable, have been exclusively set aside for South African residents.

Also, the member associations of the 32 qualified will be allocated 12 per cent of all purchasable tickets in the stadiums where their three group games will be played.

There are approximately 3.7 million tickets for the tournament but almost a third will be snapped up by sponsors and FIFA members.

Germany begin search for World Cup test opponents

Cape Town - Germany have begun the search for suitable opponents for friendly matches ahead of the 2010 World Cup and will consider scrapping plans to play Chile. After drawing Australia, Serbia and Ghana, coach Joachim Loew wants to line up matches against opponents with similar playing styles before traveling to South Africa.

Germany canceled a friendly against Chile last month following the death of goalkeeper Rober Enke and intended to play the South Americans before the World Cup.

But having avoided South American opposition in the draw, Loew intends to look for alternatives.

"We are going to have to change things a bit. We were thinking about a game against Chile...Now we have to consider whether that's such a good thing," Loew said.

"We have an opponent in Serbia who play European (football), and an African opponent. We will have to adjust to the style of our opponents."

Germany's last friendly before Loew names his provisional World Cup squad is against Argentina in Munich on March 3.

While Loew described the group as "difficult but manageable", there was a mixed response in Germany where the mass-circulation Bild daily said Germany had again been "kissed by luck."

"We'll do that easily, Jogi (Loew)," Bild wrote.

Spiegel online agreed that it was "a manageable task for the German team" but the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said that for once Germany had not been given the easiest of groups.

"The Germans have ... not got the easiest group (but not the most difficult; conclusion: semi-difficult, a bit treacherous), it wrote in its online edition.

German playing legend Franz Beckenbauer, writing for Bild, said many in Germany would be happy with the "lucky draw" for the national team.

"In Cape Town, I see it a bit differently. We have been given one of the most difficult groups," he said.

Beckenbauer said he thought Germany's group was even the second hardest after Group G containing Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.

However he forecast Germany would progress to the last 16 along with Ghana.

Spanish media generally pleased with World Cup draw

Madrid - The Spanish media were generally pleased with Friday's World Cup draw in Cape Town. The European champions have been drawn in Group H with Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.

Spain will make their debut against Switzerland in Durban on June 16. Four days later they will face Honduras at Ellis Park, then finish against Chile in Pretoria on June 25.

Spain thrashed Switzerland 3-0 in the round of 16 at the 1994 World Cup, but were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Honduras in 1982 when hosting the tournament.

The website of sports daily Marca called it "an easy group", but warned that the round of 16 could be "lethal."

If, as expected, Spain finish top of Group H they will then face the second team in Group G, which is composed of Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.

Portugal knocked Spain out of the 2004 European Championship, Ivory Coast are considered by many experts to be a good outside bet.

Marca consoles itself with the fact that if, as expected, both Spain and Brazil finish top of their groups then Vicente del Bosque's team would not have to face Brazil until the final.

The website of Catalan newspaper Sport calls it "a comfortable draw."

Radio station Cadena COPE commented that "It has been a rather lucky draw for Spain...There is really nothing to fear about any of the first-round rivals."

Rival radio station Cadena SER pointed out that Spain have done well to avoid "tough European teams" like France, Portugal, Serbia and Denmark.

In addition, according to SER, "it is good to have avoided the African teams, which will be able to count on support from the South African crowds."

Spain - number one in the FIFA rankings - are one of the favorites to win the tournament. They are the reigning European champions, and cruised through the qualifying stage by becoming the first team ever to win every single match in a six-team European qualifying group.

Spain have not been absent from the World Cup finals since 1974, a record bettered only by Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Germany.

However, the national team has frequently failed to live up to billing at the World Cup. Their best performance was in 1950, when they finished fourth.

Since then they have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals.

Not easy, but Germany satisfied with draw - Summary

Cape Town - Three-time world champions Germany avoided the big names but could - for once - not claim to have got the luck of the draw in Cape Town on Friday. Joachim Loew watched as Australia, Serbia and Ghana were pulled out of the pots, leaving the coach to prepare for a task in South Africa which will not be as easy-looking as past tournaments.

On paper it least it looks a more difficult task than the 2006 draw on home soil when the hosts were in a group with Ecuador, Poland and Costa Rica.

"We are looking forward to the tournament. We have an interesting group," Loew said.

"We played Australia at the Confederations Cup (2005), and it was also then (as in 2010) the first game. It will be an important game for us and it will be important to win.

"I have great respect for Serbia. They left France behind them in the qualification and have a strong football-playing team.

"Ghana along with Algeria are the strongest playing side in Africa, and only went out in 2006 in the last 16 to Brazil."

German football federation DFB president Theo Zwanziger said: "I think the DFB can be satisfied with the draw. We have been spared a really tough group but this draw is certainly no guarantee that we will reach the last 16."

Team manager Oliver Bierhoff said: "We are pleased we have avoided some opponents. We have got some fighting teams in our group and we will be physically challenged. There have been easier groups (for Germany) at World Cups."

Serbia coach Radomir Antic said he was also satisfied with the draw but Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac - also a Serb - was less happy.

"Germany are the favorites but I have great confidence in my team," Antic said.

"Four, five of my players play in the Bundesliga, so we know German football very well. It is a very interesting group because different footballing cultures will be coming up against each other."

Rajevac meanwhile said: "I am not happy about this group. Germany are the strongest team in Europe and are on paper the favorites but I think Ghana will qualify for the next round."

Australia's Dutch coach Pim Verbeek said: "It's not an easy group. The first game for us against Germany is decisive for us."

Verbeek, who was assistant to countryman Dick Advocaat at Borussia Moenchengladbach, added: "As a Dutchman I know how to beat Germany."

Germany have little experience against any of their group opponents.

Germany defeated Ghana 6-1 in a friendly in 1993 in their only previous meeting, and defeated Australia 4-3 at the 2005 Confederations Cup in their last meeting. At the 1974 World Cup, West Germany were 3-0 winners over the Australians.

Germany have only played Serbia once, winning 2-1 in May 2008.

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.

Group G favorite to claim dreaded 'Group of Death' tag

Cape Town - No World Cup would be complete without a "Group of Death" and Friday's draw for the 2010 edition in South Africa seems to have bestowed the honor this time around on five-time winners Brazil. The Selecao will need to overcome the challenge of Portugal and Ivory Coast as well as unknown quantities North Korea in Group G if they are to remain in the hunt for a record sixth crown in the final on July 11 at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

"Our group is the most difficult of the World Cup," said Brazil coach Dunga. "The footballing world has drawn so close together that there aren't any easy games any more."

However, hosts South Africa could also lay claim to the dubious honor after being pitted against Mexico, Uruguay and 2006 finalists France in Group A, although coach Carlos Alberto Parreira refused to claim the moniker for his side.

"This is the first time since many, many World Cup competitions that there is no Group of Death and no easy groups. All the groups are finely balanced," the Brazilian, who coached the Selecao to success in 1994, said.

"I think that we probably have the toughest group of the balanced groups. We are the only group which has two former world champions."

Germany shouldn't be too pleased either after being drawn alongside Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D although, like Parreira, coach Joachim Loew remained upbeat.

"It's a relatively evenly-matched group," he said. "What's important is that we win our opening match against Australia to build up our self-confidence."

Algeria, Tunisia move closer to reaching World Cup

CAIRO (AP) - Algeria and Tunisia moved a step closer to reaching the World Cup by winning qualifiers Sunday, while Nigeria's slender chances of advancing to next year's tournament in South Africa were kept alive by a last-minute goal.

While Algeria beat Rwanda 3-1 and Tunisia won 1-0 against Kenya, Nigeria was jeered by its own fans as their patience reached breaking point before Victor Nsofor Obinna scored the winning goal in Abuja.

Goals from Abdelkader Gezzal, Nadir Belhadj and Karim Ziani in Blida ensured Algeria only needs to avoid losing by three goals at Egypt on Nov. 14 to become one of the six African teams at the event.

Ghana, Ivory Coast and host South Africa are through. The other spots will be decided Nov. 14 in the final qualifying round.

The Algerians topped Group C with 13 points, three more than Egypt, and have a superior goal difference.

Rwanda took a 20th-minute lead when Mafisango Mutesa's shot deflected past goalkeeper Lounes Gaouaoui.

Gezzal headed the equalizer in the 22nd, Belhadj made it 2-1 just before halftime, and Ziani added an injury-time penalty.

Algeria should have had another goal when Antar Yahia's shot was well over the line before the ball was cleared.

Tunisia scored in the sixth minute in Rades through Issam Jomaa, and was moments away from qualification until Obinna's goal.

The Carthage Eagles lead Group B with 11 points, two more than Nigeria's Super Eagles. Both are unbeaten. The group winner will be decided when Tunisia visits Mozambique and Kenya hosts Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Ghana conceded its first goal in five qualifying games in Group D, losing 1-0 at Benin as substitute Mohamed Aoudou scored in injury time.

"We're satisfied to have won at home, and especially scoring against Ghana, which didn't need the win," Benin coach Michel Dussuyer said. "I am proud of my boys."

In Group D's other match, Frederic Kanoute scored in the 89th minute Sunday for Mali to beat 10-man Sudan, which had Saeed Mustapha Balla sent off in the 41st minute.

Mali is second with eight points in the group, four behind Ghana. Benin has seven points and Sudan is last with one point.

In Group E, Moumouni Dagano scored a goal in each half to give Burkina Faso a 2-1 win at Guinea and a place in next year's African Cup of Nations in Angola.