Tottenham players Aaron Lennon and Peter Crouch have been recalled to the England squad, but Fabio Capello have not included Manchester United striker Michael Owen for the Croatia game.
After impressing for Tottenham in the opening weeks of the season, Lennon is set to be given a chance in Saturday’s friendly against Belarus to stake his claim for a starting spot on the right flank against Croatia the following Wednesday.
England would qualify for the World Cup in South Africa next June if they make it eight wins from eight Group 6 matches against Croatia at Wembley.
Capello has been impressed by the speed and shooting proficiency of the 22-year-old Lennon, who last played in the victories over Slovakia in March and Ukraine in April.
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Bafana Bafana were tought an international soccer lesson last night when Portugal beat them 2 – 0 at Lausanne’s Stade Olimpique in Switserland.
The win was Portugal’s first in five matches. But they outclassed Bafana and showed how far behind Bafana are from the big guns of world soccer. Bafana’s head coach Joel Santana has a massive task ahead if is still dreaming about this squad competing against the world’s best in the Confederations Cup in June and at next year’s World Cup finals.
One could see the difference in class. Portugal are ranked 10th by Fifa while Bafana are 72nd and that gap showed.
If Bafana are to make any impression in either Fifa tournaments then Santana must wake up to the fact that goals win matches and his defensive tactics against top opposition do not work.
Bafana’s fragile ability to defend set pieces and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune’s lack of experience were exposed. Both goals one in each half came from a corner.
Portugal showed they were head and shoulders above a lack lustre Norway who Bafana defeated 2-1 in the Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium at the weekend.
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David Beckham is England’s most capped out-field player, but is happy with the new role as substitute.
Beckham passed Bobby Moore’s previous record of 108 caps when he came on as a half-time substitute in Saturday’s 4-0 friendly win over Slovakia. On his 109th appearance in an England shirt, Beckham proved his continued worth to the side, setting up Wayne Rooney with a cross for England’s second goal.
Beckham’s impressive cameo will have given coach Fabio Capello food for thought as the Italian prepares to pick his team to face Ukraine in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier.
A win for England would cement their position on top of European qualifying group six and keep Capello’s team firmly on course to qualify for next year’s World Cup.
Capello started the Slovakia match with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon on the right flank and his pace caused Slovakia problems at times. Beckham admits Lennon offers a different kind of threat and he is prepared to start on the bench if it helps England get a crucial victory.
“Aaron went past players like they weren’t there,” Beckham said. “With the pace he’s got, he’s in exceptional form for Tottenham, he deserved to start.
“Everyone wants to start for England, but at the end of the day, everyone also wants to play for England.
“Substitutes can be very important. We saw that at Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final with Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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