BUENOS AIRES:   Spain want to pit their wits as World Cup winners against record five-times champions Brazil, captain Iker Casillas said on Monday.

"The team I haven't had the chance to meet and would like to face are Brazil," the goalkeeper told a news conference ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Argentina at River Plate's Monumental stadium (2000 GMT).

SARAJEVO:   France coach Laurent Blanc said on Monday that he expected a tough battle against Bosnia in Tuesday's already crucial Euro 2012 qualifier here.

Blanc - whose side lost 1-0 to 78th ranked Belarus on Friday in Paris - said that the Bosnians drew strength from their traumatic war experiences in the 1990's and great pride in their footballing exploits which saw them go within a play-off of reaching the World Cup finals this year.

BASEL:   Fabio Capello confirmed he will pick Wayne Rooney to play for England against Switzerland in a Euro 2012 qualifier here Tuesday despite revelations over the striker?s private life.

Rooney has found himself on the front page of English newspapers following reports he frequented a prostitute over several months while his wife Coleen was pregnant and is now reportedly battling to save his marriage.

SARAJEVO:   French football chief Fernand Duchaussoy confirmed here Monday that former national coach Raymond Domenech has been sacked for "gross misconduct".

Domenech's contract as manager of Les Bleus came to an end after the former world champion's disastrous World Cup campaign, but he had remained on the payroll of the French Football Federation.

NEW DELHI:   Slamming the training facilities and the infrastructure in India, national football coach Bob Houghton today said any stadium in the world is far better than the ones in the country.

Houghton said poor facilities in the India is precisely the reason why they always look for overseas trips for training of the national team.

Houghton and his wards have just returned from Thailand, following a two-month long tour of Portugal, where they played friendlies against lower division clubs as a part of preparation for the 2011 Asian Cup.

LONDON:   England's James Milner  voiced his support for Wayne Rooney on Sunday after lurid reports about the striker's private life cast a shadow over preparations for the team's Euro 2012 clash with Switzerland.

After being showered with praise for his starring role in Friday's 4-0 Group G rout of Bulgaria, Manchester United icon Rooney awoke on Sunday to find himself plastered over the tabloid press for all the wrong reasons.

"Barcelona did all that they could to sign me, but Arsenal told me I had to stay, that there was no way there were going to let me go," News of The World quoted Fabregas, as saying.

LONDON:   England goalkeeper Joe Hart insists it is too early to start tagging his generation as the players to breathe new life into Fabio Capello's team.

Hart marked his first competitive start for England with a superb display in Friday's 4-0 win over Bulgaria at Wembley, while the international novices Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill and Adam Johnson also impressed in the Euro 2012 qualifer.

JOHANNESBURG:   South Africa launched a challenge for African Nations Cup redemption by outplaying minnows Niger 2-0 Saturday in the north-east city of Nelspruit.

Early and late first half goals from strikers Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker saw Bafana Bafana (The Boys) secure maximum points from a Group G opener likely to prove the easiest of six qualifying games.