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Argentina, Belgium, Morocco Squads
World Cup Latest: Italy Keeper Out; South Africa Dump Barnsley Star
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Monday 01 June 1998
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News 4
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WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN
Only Nine Days 'Til Kick-off!
ITALIAN KEEPER RULED OUT BY TRAINING ACCIDENT
ITALY'S first-choice goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi has been ruled out of the World Cup finals by a freak training ground accident. The Juventus star pulled his left calf muscle jumping for a routine high ball during a session yesterday morning at the Italians' training camp at Coverciano.
Peruzzi's screams of pain on landing brought medical staff and reserve keeper Gianluca Pagliuca who ironically now takes over - running to his aid. Team doctors later diagnosed the pulled muscle and recommended at least a four-week lay-off.
Peruzzi, who missed USA 1994, has been in outstanding form over the last two seasons as Juve have twice won Serie A's Scudetto and reached successive European Cup finals. But he put his disappointment aside as he told reporters: I'll just have to sweat another four years to go to the next World Cup. Of course I'm upset, but as far as Italy is concerned, Pagliuca will do the country proud. He is one of the best in the world and he's sure to do great in the finals.
BARNSLEY'S TINKLER AXED BY SOUTH AFRICA
BARNSLEY midfielder Eric Tinkler has been axed by South Africa as coach Phillippe Troussier named his final 22-man squad. The news follows a dismal 1-1 draw with German Second Division side Stuttgart Kickers on Saturday.
Leeds defender Lucas Radebe who scored a fluke goal against Stuttgart will captain the squad, which also features his former Elland Road team-mate Phil Masinga, now with Serie A's Bari. Bolton's Mark Fish and Fulham's Andre Arendse also made it.
Full South Africa Squad Goalkeepers: Hans Vonk (SC Heerenveen), Brian Baloyi (Kaizer Chiefs), Andre Arendse (Fulham); Defenders: Themba Mnguni (Mamelodi Sundowns), David Nyathi (St Gallen), Willem Jackson (Orlando Pirates), Mark Fish (Bolton Wanderers), Lucas Radebe (Leeds United), Pierre Issa (Marseille); Midfielders: Quinton Fortune (Atletico Madrid), Alfred Phiri (Vanspor), John Moshoeu (Fenerbache), Helman Mkhalele (Kayerispor), Brendan Augustine (LASK Linz), Delron Buckley (VfL Bochum), Doctor Khumalo (Kaizer Chiefs), Lebogang Morula (Vanspor), Naughty Mokoena (Manning Rangers); Strikers: Phil Masinga (Bari), Shaun Bartlett (Cape Town Spurs), Jerry Sikhosana (Orlando Pirates), Benedict McCarthy (Ajax).
VOGTS WARNS: BEST IS YET TO COME
GERMANY coach Berti Vogts will have sent a shiver up the spine of every potential World Cup opponent when he declared that his side had only used between 70 and 75 per cent of our potential in Saturday's 3-1 romp over England's Group G rivals Colombia. "I have to congratulate my team, but what's important now is that we're in top form on 15 June against the USA, added Vogts, who chillingly described Oliver Bierhoff's superb two-goal performance as just normal .
JUVE GRAB TWO POTENTIAL STARS
JUVENTUS have signed two potential World Cup stars Croatia's Igor Tudor and Yugoslavian Zoran Mirkovic as they attempt to bounce back from their European Cup final defeat. Both defenders signed four-year contracts, Tudor costing £3 million from Hajduk Split and Mirkovic coming on a Bosman free from Serie A rivals Atalanta.
Meanwhile Japan's star player, 21-year-old midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata is to leave the J-League for Spanish club Espanyol after the finals, according to a Japanese daily newspaper. Spanish side Salamanca have paid Rapid Bucharest £1m for Romanian Lucian Marinescu and have reached a verbal agreement with his international midfield colleague Dorinel Munteanu of German club Cologne.
WORLD CUP CURFEW FOR THAI CHILDREN
THAILAND'S education minister is urging an unofficial curfew for children during the World Cup. Kwang Robkob admitted he was worried by the seven-hour time difference between his country and France and said: Students should watch the Cup because sport is good for them, but watching games after midnight will affect their studies.
The Thai government is also leading a crackdown against teachers who gamble on football as part of a drive to outlaw betting altogether.
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ARGENTINE AXE FOR CANIGGIA AS THREE SQUADS ARE NAMED
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WHILE Glenn Hoddle's hopefuls sweated over their World Cup call-up chances, there was joy and heartbreak for squad members from three other qualifying countries yesterday. The biggest news came from Argentina's camp, where coach Daniel Passarella opted to leave out striker Claudio Caniggia, a veteran of the 1990 and 1994 tournaments, in favour of in-form Roma forward Abel Balbo.
Most commentators had given the Serie A star, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, little chance of making the final 22 because of off-field problems which have included a tax evasion trial which ended with him receiving a suspended prison sentence only last week, as well as a running feud between the player and Passarella.
With hatchet-burying clearly the order of the day, Belgium coach Georges Leekens named Enzo Scifo in his final 22, signaling an end to a dispute which saw the Anderlecht midfielder announce his international retirement earlier this year, only to relent last month. The big surprise was the omission of Monaco defender Philippe Leonard, who was partly blamed for the Belgians' 1-0 defeat by France during the King Hassan II Cup, but had expected to be among the final squad even after missing Friday's shoot-out victory against England.
There were no surprises among coach Henri Michel's choices for the other team Glenn Hoddle's men faced in last week's tournament, Scotland's Group A opponents Morocco.
FULL ARGENTINA SQUAD Goalkeepers: Carlos Roa (Mallorca), German Adrian Burgos (River Plate), Pablo Cavallero (Velez Sarsfield); Defenders: Nestor Sensini (Parma), Roberto Ayala (Napoli), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Jose Chamot (Lazio), Pablo Paz (Tenerife), Nelson Vivas (Lugano), Hector Pineda (Udinese); Midfielders: Diego Simeone (Inter Milan), Matias Almeyda (Lazio), Juan Sebastian Veron (Sampdoria), Leonardo Astrada (River Plate), Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate), Sergio Berti (River Plate), Ariel Ortega (Valencia); Forwards: Gabriel Batistuta (Fiorentina), Claudio Lopez (Valencia), Marcelo Delgado (Racing Club), Hernan Crespo (Parma), Abel Balbo (AS Roma).
FULL BELGIAN SQUAD Goalkeepers: Filip de Wilde (Anderlecht), Dany Verlinden (Club Bruges), Philippe Vande Walle (Eendracht Aalst); Defenders: Vital Borkelmans (Club Bruges), Eric Deflandre (Club Bruges), Lorenzo Staelens (Club Bruges), Bertrand Crasson (Napoli), Gordan Vidovic (Excelsior Mouscron), Eric Van Meir (Lierse), Glen De Boeck (Anderlecht), Mike Verstraeten (Germinal Ekeren); Midfielders: Danny Boffin (FC Metz), Franky Van der Elst (Club Bruges), Nico Van Kerckhoven (Lierse), Marc Wilmots (Schalke 04), Philippe Clement (Genk), Enzo Scifo (Anderlecht); Forwards: Lokonda Mpenza (Standard Liege), Mbo Mpenza (Standard Liege), Luc Nilis (PSV Eindhoven), Luis Oliveira (Fiorentina), Gert Verheyen (Club Bruges).
FULL MOROCCO SQUAD Goalkeepers: Abdelkader Brazi (FAR Rabat), Driss Benzekri (Settat), Mustapha Chadli (Raja); Defenders: Abdelilah Saber (Sporting Lisbon), Abdelkrim Haddrioui ( Benfica), Lahcen Abrami (Widad), Noureddine Naybat (Deportivo La Coruna), Rachid Nekrouz (Bari), Samahi Triki (Lausanne), Youssef Rossi (Rennes); Midfielders: Rachi Azzouzi (Gruether Furth), Said Chiba (Compostela), Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo La Coruna), Abderrahim Uakili (1860 Munich), Jamal Sellami (Raja), Taher Lakhlej (Benfica), Youssef Chipo (Porto), Gharib Amzine (Mulhouse); Forwards: Salaheddine Bassir (Deportivo La Coruna), Ali Khattabi (Heerenveen), Rachid Roki (SCMM Mohammedia), Abdeljalil Hadda (Club Africain).
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