Capello’s Russians are ready
Moscow: Russia coach Fabio Capello named an entirely home-based squad for the World Cup on Monday, with all 23 players drawn from clubs in the country. Captain Roman Shirokov made the cut despite missing both of Russia’s warm-up games with an Achilles tendon injury. He is one of five players from the squad that reached the Euro 2008 semifinals, along with goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, winger Yuri Zhirkov and the center-back pairing of Sergei Ignashevich and Vasily Berezutsky. Eight of the final 23 have played five international games or fewer as Capello seeks to give a new generation of players vital World Cup experience ahead of Russia hosting the tournament in 2018. Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was among seven players dropped from the provisional squad. Dynamo Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg lead the way among Russian clubs represented on the team, contributing six players each, while Russian champion CSKA Moscow has five.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev, Yuri lodygin, Sergei Ryzhikov.
Defenders: Vasily Berezutsky, Sergei Ignashevich, Georgy Shchennikov, Vladimir Granat, Alexei Kozlov, Andrei Yeshchenko, Dmitry Kombarov, Andrei Semyonov .
Midfielders: Igor Denisov, Alan Dzagoev, Roman Shirokov, Denis Glushakov, Viktor Faizulin, Oleg Shatov, Yuri Zhirkov, Alexander Samedov.
Forwards: Alexei Ionov, Alexander Kokorin, Maxim Kanunnikov , Alexander Kerzhakov.
Eto’o, Song and no surprises
Moscow: Cameroon coach Volker Finke included Samuel Eto’o and Alex Song in his 23-man squad for the World Cup, where the West African nation hopes to reach knockout stages for the first time in 24 years.
Cameroon was the first African team to make the World Cup quarterfinals in Italy in 1990 but has won just one game in the four tournaments it has qualified for since, failing to get out of its group in 1994, 1998, 2002 and four years ago in South Africa.
Finke included Chelsea striker Eto’o, Barcelona midfielder Song in a squad without any major surprises, along with defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who is on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Tottenham. Forwards Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choup-Moting also made the final squad announced on FIFA’s deadline day for player lists to be registered.
“A team is a blend of talent,” Finke said. “For Brazil, we need efficiency and experience to cruise into the second round.”
Squad
Goalkeepers: Charles Itandje, Sammy Ndjock, loic Feudjou.
Defenders: Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Henri Bedimo, Aurelien Chedjou, Cedric Djeugoue, Nicolas Nkoulou, Dany Nounkeu, Allan Nyom.
Midfielders: Enoh Eyong (Antalyaspor), Jean Makoun (Rennes), Joel Matip, Stephane Mbia, Benjamin Moukandjo, landry Nguemo, Edgar Salli, Alex Song.
Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Samuel Eto’o, Fabrice Olinga, Pierre Webo.
Algeria to miss two big men
Moscow: Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic left forward Rafik Djebbour and midfielder Foued Kadir off his final 23-man squad named for the World Cup on Monday. The 30-year-old Djebbour has struggled since joining Nottingham Forest from the Turkish team Sivasspor in January, scoring only once and playing mostly as a substitute. Kadir will also miss out on the World Cup despite having a decent season for the French side, Rennes, scoring six goals. The other five players cut from Algeria’s provisional 30-man squad were midfielders Ryad Boudebouz, Amir Karaoui and Adlene Guedioura, goalkeeper Azzedine Doukha and defender Nacereddine Khoualed. Halilhodzic will be looking to star midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, who plays for Valencia, and Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb to create chances for them. And Sporting lisbon’s Islam Slimani and Dinamo Zagreb’s Hilal Soudani will vie for a place at center-forward. Both have scored 10 international goals. Algeria is drawn in Group H alongside Belgium, Russia and South Korea.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev, Yuri lodygin, Sergei Ryzhikov.
Defenders: Vasily Berezutsky, Sergei Ignashevich, Georgy Shchennikov, Vladimir Granat, Alexei Kozlov, Andrei Yeshchenko, Dmitry Kombarov, Andrei Semyonov.
Midfielders: Igor Denisov, Alan Dzagoev, Roman Shirokov, Denis Glushakov, Viktor Faizulin, Oleg Shatov, Yuri Zhirkov , Alexander Samedov.
Forwards: Alexei Ionov, Alexander Kokorin, Maxim Kanunnikov, Alexander Kerzhakov.