VISION SPORT NEW VISION, Wednesday March 5, 2014 47 Shaw eyes England’s MUCH IS 3 Lions shirt WATFORD

Today (friendlies) England v Denmark Czech Rep. v Norway Romania v Argentina Austria v Uruguay AT STAKE Germany v Chile England v Denmark Spain v Italy Brazil stars must impress coach Scolari Southampton captain Adam Lallana said Mon- day that team-mate Luke JOHANNESBURG International friendlies “Bafana Bafana beat Spain Shaw deserves his call-up involving Africa teams recently so they will provide a to the England squad for World Cup hosts and title Nigeria v Mexico good test. This match repre- favourites Brazil hope to Tunisia v Colombia sents an important part of our Denmark at Wembley. maintain a perfect record Malawi v Zimbabwe build-up.” The 18-year-old Shaw could against South Africa on Algeria v Slovenia earn his first senior cap for Wednesday in a Soweto Belgium v Ivory Coast England before manager Roy football friendly with much Burundi v Rwanda After a recent six-hour grill- Hodgson announces his 23- at stake. Botswana v S. Sudan ing from South African football man squad for the World Cup For the South American Bosnia H. v Egypt chiefs, Igesund said he got “a in Brazil later this year. stars it is a last chance in the Portugal v Cameroon vote of confidence”, but the “He has been an outstand- national strip to impress coach L’mbourg v C. Verde media told a different story. ing for us all season. He looks Luiz Felipe Scolari before Morocco v Gabon City Press newspaper quoted like a seasoned pro and it he names his 23-man M’bique v Angola an unnamed South African was no surprise to see he was tournament squad in B. Faso v Comoros Football Association official included in the squad,” Lal- early May. Zambia v Uganda saying the end was nigh for a lana told a news conference And only a vic- Mauritania v Niger coach whose contract expires in Watford, north of London. tory can possibly save M’negro v Ghana in mid-year. “There are two outstanding Bafana Bafana (The Mali v Senegal “Even if he (Igesund) beats players ahead of him (Ashley Boys) coach Gordon S. Africa v Brazil Brazil 5-0 it will not help his Cole and Leighton Baines),” Igesund — labelled a Iran v Guinea case. The decision has already added Lallana in a reference ‘dead man walking’ by Libya v Congo been taken.” to Shaw’s left-back rivals. the media because of poor Namibia v Tanzania When Igesund took over two “He knows he is going tournament results. years ago, he was mandated to the occasion at the same to learn off them and if he Brazil have beaten South to reach the 2013 Africa Cup stadium last November against watches them closely in train- Africa twice in Johannesburg, of Nations semi-finals and the World Cup and European ing he knows it is going to do once in Soweto and most 2014 World Cup. title-holders Spain, winning him good.” recently in Sao Paulo, but all But Bafana were eliminated 1-0 through a Bernard Parker Shaw has been a first team the victories were by one-goal by Mali in the Nations Cup close-range chip. regular for Southampton this margins. quarter-finals and failed to Hopes of another shock win season, starting 25 out of 28 A squad boasting star even reach the African World suffered a double eve-of- Premier League games. Barcelona striker Neymar plus Cup play-offs, losing out to match blow,though, when Lallana and Shaw are joined drawcards from Bayern Mu- bottom seeds Ethiopia. goalkeeper and captain Itu- in the 30-man England squad nich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Igesund needed a good show meleng Khune and defensive by Saints team-mates Rickie Paris Saint-Germain and Real at the 2014 African Nations midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi Lambert and Jay Rodriguez. Madrid start as overwhelming Championship for home-based withdrew injured. Lambert, a 32-year-old favourites again. footballers to stem criticism, Scolari,who steered Brazil to striker, was the first of the Opposing them at the but a first-round exit led sports the last of five World Cup tri- Southampton quartet to break 90,000-seat Soccer City minister Fikile Mbalula to call umphs 12 years ago in Japan, into the Three Lions set-up stadium are lesser known the squad “useless losers”. values the form of his galaxy and marked his debut in in- footballers from clubs like Both teams plan new looks of stars far above reputations. ternational football by scoring Bournemouth, Doncaster, with South Africa donning a “We want to be world the winner as England beat Genk, Lech Poznan, Ostend one-off, all-white strip while champions again,” stressed the Scotland 3-2 in a friendly at and Rostov. Brazil wear two World Cup 65-year-old Brazilian, “and we Wembley last year. !"#" But they rose magnificently outfits, changing at half-time. are in South Africa to win. W. Cup problems under control — Blatter No Robben v Ribery PARIS suffered in last weekend’s BERNE as the June 12 opening day criticising it as a waste of Bundesliga win over Schalke approaches. money. Today (Friendly) 04. FIFA secretary general Support has waned since France v Netherlands “It is not feeling good and World Cup venues are Jerome Valcke said at the protests broke out in June it is better not to take under control with just weekend that the world last year against poor public Arjen Robben will any risks,” he told 100 days to go before body faced a huge challenge services and the high cost miss out on the reporters. following delays in building of building stadiums, but chance of playing The Dutch foot- off, FIFA president stadiums. Blatter was confident Brazil- against his Bay- ball association Sepp Blatter said on The Sao Paulo stadium that ians would embrace the Cup ern Munich team said on Tuesday it Tuesday. hosts the opening match is when the time came. mate Franck had called up Ajax “One hundred days; It’s not due to be ready until Brazil, said Blatter, was “the Ribery (right) Amsterdam cap- a long way to go, and it’s a May while other stadiums in country of football, and they after pulling out tain Siem de Jong short way to go if there are Curitiba and Manaus remain will receive this competition of the Netherlands in place of Rafael still problems,” the Swiss unfinished. with open arms and full of squad for Wednes- van der Vaart who told fifa.com in a video. exceptional competition.” One survey in February their heart”. was also added to the “But now all problems Brazil is racing against time showed the number of Brazil- “The Brazilian spirit of the France in Paris. squad as a replacement. are under control and it to complete stadiums, airports, ians who favoured hosting game and the Brazilian ability Robben has stayed with Van der Vaart and goal- will be in 100 days an ex- communications infrastructure the tournament had fallen to to play football makes this the Dutch squad for the keeper Michael Vorm are ceptional good start for an and transportation systems an all-time low, with many World Cup very, very special.” World Cup warm-up match both ill and did not travel to but has a thigh injury the French capital.