|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday, December 18, 1997 Published at 22:22 GMT Sport: Football England face February date with Chile Saudi Arabia and Chile are the two teams England are sure to face before France
Chile will be the next World Cup warm-up opponents for Glenn Hoddle's England team.
Hoddle and his players will sign off before leaving for their final
preparations for France 98 by taking on fellow qualifiers Saudi Arabia.
The Football Association has confirmed that Chile - who have drawn Italy, Cameroon and Austria in World Cup Group B - will visit Wembley on February 11.
It means Hoddle and his team will pit their wits against a side including two of the sharpest strikers in South America, River Plate's Parma-bound Marcelo Salas - who has officially rejected the attentions of Manchester United - and Ivan Zamorano of Inter Milan.
The England coach has yet to finalise opponents for his planned friendlies in March and April, although the prospect of a March visit to take on the USA in Washington DC has bitten the dust.
But Hoddle has agreed to play host to the Saudis - who face France, South Africa and Denmark in Group C - at Wembley on May 23 in the final home game before the finals.
Hoddle said: "We're looking to develop a balanced and helpful fixture
list between now and the start of the World Cup and both Chile and Saudi Arabia have qualified for France 98."
"Chile are clearly similar in style to Colombia; the same can be said of Saudi Arabia in comparison with Tunisia - and both Colombia and Tunisia, of course, figure in our group at the World Cup."
"We've other fixtures to confirm, notably in March, April and the end of May. I'm very pleased with the progress we're making."
Hoddle had originally pencilled in the Colombians or Argentina for a early spring-time clash.
But the draw for France 98 made the former impossible, Colombia instead switching to play Germany, while Argentina are possible second round opponents for Hoddle's men and have also ruled out a pre-France game.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||