ALGERIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Coach Rabah Saadane reveals his extended national squad for South Africa

Record ID: 573559

  • Title: ALGERIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Coach Rabah Saadane reveals his extended national squad for South Africa
  • Date: 6th May 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALGERIA COACH RABAH SAADANE SAYING: "I don't know which team will play. According to different reasons, I am obliged to reconstitute the team. Until this time, I don't have precise and objective elements to name which players will play. When I will have all the elements, I will evaluate the situation then I will gradually decide who will play. The match against Ireland and the United Arab Emirates are "test" matches. The result is not important for me. I will reconstitute my team in order to be ready for the 13th against Slovenia. I don't play for the result, but to note the level of my team in the offensive and defensive play" VARIOUS OF PRESS CONFERENCE SOUNDBITE) (French) ALGERIA COACH RABAH SAADANE SAYING: "There are a lot of matches; we cannot see all of them. To learn more about the competitors, we have consulted Algerian specialists outside of Algeria who have sophisticated software in order to do summaries about the strengths and weaknesses of our adversaries. When I will arrive in Crans Montana, I will work on it, because until now, I had a lot of work and I didn't have the time to do it. I will work on the tactical strategy for the first, the second and the third match. VARIOUS OF PRESS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAG2JB4YNEM0CPVHXZE9KQ2DZ1
  • Story Text: Algeria coach Rabah Saadane revealed a World Cup training squad on Tuesday (May 4) with the majority of those named members of the team that took part in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
    Saadane told reporters that the selection had given him headaches but he wanted to keep the backbone of the team that made the semi finals in Angola.
    Thirty players were picked for training camps in Crans-Montana, Switzerland (May 13-26), and Nuremberg, Germany (May 31-June 6), but the coach will name the five reserves at a later date.
    Saadane said preparation was on track but now was the time for it to be stepped up to ensure a high level is reached in South Africa.
    "I think that we have sincerely done all that is necessary and we are here today," Saadane said.
    "Algeria will be represented with dignity during this world championship and put in an honorable performance.
    "We will try to play a high level of soccer, an efficient game, in the defensive and offensive play."
    Saadane did express some concerns over player welfare with a number of his stars coming off a long season in Europe.
    "I told you that the end of the season will be difficult, and it was more difficult than what I thought because we have a very mixed group, with a lot of injured players," he explained.
    "We also have players who are saturated."
    Saadane is unlikely to decide on his final 23 man squad for the World Cup until right up until the last minute and said he had time to assess the players who were on the border of making the finals.
    "I will evaluate the situation then I will gradually decide who will play," he said.
    "The match against Ireland and the United Arab Emirates are "test" matches. The result is not important for me. I will reconstitute my team in order to be ready for the 13th against Slovenia. I don't play for the result, but to note the level of my team in the offensive and defensive play."
    The north Africans have been drawn in Group C at the June 11-July 11 World Cup finals in South Africa alongside England, Slovenia and the United States.
    "To learn more about the competitors, we have consulted Algerian specialists outside of Algeria who have sophisticated software in order to do summaries about the strengths and weaknesses of our adversaries," Saadane said of his team's opponents in South Africa.
    "When I will arrive in Crans Montana, I will work on it, because until now I've had a lot of work and I didn't have the time to do it.
    "I will work on the tactical strategy for the first, the second and the third match."
    Algeria Squad: Goalkeepers: Fawzi Chouachi (ES Setif), Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (MC Alger), M'bohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia/BUL) Defenders: Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers/SCO), Carl Medjani Carl (Ajaccio/FRA), Rafi Halliche (Nacional Madeira/POR), Anther Yahia (Bochum/GER), Haib Belaid (Boulogne/FRA), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth/ENG), Djamel Mesbah (Lecce/ITA) Midfielders: Hassen Yebda (Potsmouth/ENG), Mehdi Lacen (Racing Santander/ESP), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient/FRA), Adlane Guedioura (Wolverhampton/ENG), Riad Boudebouz Riad (Sochaux/FRA), Djamel Abdoun (Nantes/FRA), Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes/FRA), Mourad Meghni (Lazio/ITA), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg/GER), Karim Matmour (M'Gladbach/GER) Strikers: Abdelkader Ghezzal (Sienna/ITA), Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens/GRE), Rafik Saifi (Istres/FRA)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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