15.11. (Tue) 20:05 Croatia - Turkey

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

CROATIA Pletikosa Vida, Simunic, Schildenfeld, Pamic Srna, Modric, Vukojevic, Perisic Olic, Mandzukic

TURKEY Sinan Serkan, Omer, Egemen, Ismail Gokhan Tore, Hamit, Ozan, Topal, Caner Burak

Vedran Corluka and Tomislav Dujmovic both picked up bookings that will rule them out of the second leg clash, meaning that Manuel Pamic could be handed a debut at left-back, while Ognjen Vukojevic may slot in alongside Luka Modric in the heart of midfield. Dejan Lovren and Sime Vrsaljiko remain sidelined.

Guus Hiddink will shuffle his pack in Zagreb, and many of the names who featured in the 3-0 loss will not play in Croatia. The Dutchman has pledged to give the youngsters a chance, meaning Sinan Bolat could start ahead of Volkan, while suspensions to Hakan Balta, Arda Turan, Emre Belozoglu and Sabri Sarioglu could hand the likes of Ismail Koybasi, Gokhan Tore, Ozan Ipek and Caner Erkin a chance.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Croatia's 3-0 first leg victory over Turkey in Istanbul on Friday ensured that Guus Hiddink's side have never beaten the 1998 World Cup semi-finalists in normal time.

• Slaven Bilic (pic) has the highest win percentage of any Croatia coach who taken charge of the nation in over 10 games.

• The Yugoslavia national football team also had an exceptional record against Turkey, losing just once - in a 1931 Balkan Cup tie.

• If selected, Turkey's Gokhan Tore will make his first start for his nation.

• Turkey's Hamit Altintop and Croatia's Ivica Olic were both part of the Bayern Munich team that made it to the Champions League final in 2010.

Prediction

After Friday's capitulation, it can't get much worse for Guus Hiddink's side. The Dutchman has pledged to shuffle his pack, and publicly called upon his side to play for honour. That said, Croatia proved their superiority in Istanbul, and expect them to play out a narrow home win.

Editor's Prediction

Croatia 2-1 Turkey

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15.11. (Tue) 19:00 Zimbabwe - South Africa

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SOUTH AFRICA Sandilands Jele, Gould, Bilankulu, MasenamelaModise, Maluleka, Scott, LebeseNontshinga, Grobler

ZIMBABWE Kapini Zvasiya, Sweswe, Mapemba, Nyoni Billiat, Gutu, Nengomasha, Rusike Mushekwi, Musona

Fresh from Saturday's 1-1 draw against Africa’s number one ranked team, Ivory Coast, in the Nelson Mandela Challenge, South Africa go into Tuesday’s friendly international against Zimbabwe knowing that their neighbours will be a determined opponent.

This will be the first time Bafana play a match on a synthetic turf at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare, where the Warriors will look to benefit from home advantage. Bafana aim to use this match to test new recruits as they build a pool of players for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Pitso Mosimane has opted to rest a number of senior players, and captain Steven Pienaar, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Siboniso Gaxa, Anele Ngcongca, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Tsepo Masilela and Siyabonga Sangweni were not included in the travelling party to Zimbabwe.

In the absence of the veterans, Mosimane is expected to give the Turkey-based striker Bradley Grobler, Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Lebese and Ajax Cape Town's Granwald Scott their first caps. Also in line for a rare start is Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands, who has earned just one Bafana cap thus far.

Despite dropping captain Method Mwanjali from squad, Zimbabwe coach Norman Mapeza has assembled a strong 20-man squad which includes 14 foreign-based players. The squad for the Harare clash is made up of 11 footballers who are based in South Africa’s PSL, and three from European clubs.

Mwanjali's axing comes after he was blamed for errors which cost Zimbabwe a ticket to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations as they went down 2-1 to minnows Cape Verde Islands last month. Coach Mapeza however recalled midfielder Ramson Zhuwawo and left-back Zhaimu Jambo.

DID YOU KNOW

• Since 1992, South Africa and Zimbabwe have met 11 times, with Bafana claiming six victories, the Warriors winning four times, and one match being drawn.

• Zimbabwe's biggest win over their neighbours was back in 1992 when the Warriors triumphed 4-1.

• On 9 July 2000 when the two sides played at the National Sports Stadium in Zimbabwe, 13 people died in a stampede at the venue after police fired tear-gas at the crowd in a bid to quell disturbances during the World Cup qualifying match.

• The last time the two teams met in a friendly match was back in 2010 when South Africa walloped the Warriors 3-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

• The Zimbabwean squad for the Harare clash is made up of 11 players from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, four of which play for giants Kaizer Chiefs.

Prediction
Editor's Prediction 
Zimbabwe 1-1 South Africa

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15.11. (Tue) 19:00 Senegal - Ivory Coast

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SENEGAL Coundoul Sane, Diawara, Sall, Traore Remi, Ndoye, Diame, Dia Niang, Sow

COTE D'IVOIRE Copa Siaka, Kolo, Boka, Eboue Yaya, Zokora, Gradel Gervinho, Kalou, Seydou

Fresh from a 4-1 win over Guinea in Mantes-la-Ville, France on Saturday, Senegal will strive to sustain that momentum against the number one team on the continent, Cote D’Ivoire, during Tuesday’s friendly, which will truly determine the current form of not only the Teranga Lions, but also the Elephants as both fine tune ahead of next year’s continental event.

The two teams last met in August 2006 in an international friendly played in Tours, France, with the Lions humbling the Ivorians 1-0, but an earlier clash in August 2004 saw Cote D’Ivoire earn a 2-1 victory. And back in 2003 in Dakar, Senegal defeated their Ivorian visitors 1-0, underscoring the deep rivalry existing between the two, who are among the favourites for Gabon-Equatorial Guinea 2012. Still wobbling from Saturday’s modest outing against South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Challenge shared by both sides following a 1-1 stalemate, Cote D’Ivoire coach Francois Zahoui, who is facing criticism back home for the team’s lacklustre performance in their last two games – against Burundi and South Africa, needs to face a robust Senegal in a positive manner in order to appease the nation and gather enough blessings for the 2012 Afcon.
He needs to prove that his team can function in the absence of talisman Didier Drogba, who will be missing out again on Tuesday.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Didier Drogba, who holds French nationality, did not choose to play for Cote D’Ivoire because of patriotism. He couldn’t find a spot in the then star-studded France team, and he affirmed in an interview in Abidjan that “I couldn’t have replaced the likes of Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, etc, so I decided to try the Elephants.”

• Cote D’Ivoire goalkeeper Copa Barry was originally a midfielder. When he was desperately in search of a club, the managers at the famous Abidjan-based Mimosifcom, where Manchester City’s Toure brothers were groomed, proposed the post of goalkeeper, which was the only position available in the outfit at the time. Copa accepted and began training as a keeper.

• Senegal coach Amara Traore worked without a salary for 11 months in 2010 because the FA and the sports and finance ministries were in disagreement over the status of the national team staff.

• It has been a modern tradition for Senegal presidents to offer their private planes to airlift the national team players each time they have an important match, as was the case when they played against Cameroon in Yaounde and DR Congo in Kinshasa during the 2012 Afcon qualifiers.

Prediction
It is surely going to be a cracker judging by the stars both sides parade and the ambitions in place, but Senegal seem a more organised team at the moment, with a more productive attack, capable of taking apart Cote D’Ivoire’s often addled backline.
Senegal 2-1 Cote D'Ivoire

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15.11. (Tue) 19:00 Zimbabwe - South Africa

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SOUTH AFRICA Sandilands Jele, Gould, Bilankulu, MasenamelaModise, Maluleka, Scott, LebeseNontshinga, Grobler

ZIMBABWE Kapini Zvasiya, Sweswe, Mapemba, Nyoni Billiat, Gutu, Nengomasha, Rusike Mushekwi, Musona

Fresh from Saturday's 1-1 draw against Africa’s number one ranked team, Ivory Coast, in the Nelson Mandela Challenge, South Africa go into Tuesday’s friendly international against Zimbabwe knowing that their neighbours will be a determined opponent.

This will be the first time Bafana play a match on a synthetic turf at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare, where the Warriors will look to benefit from home advantage. Bafana aim to use this match to test new recruits as they build a pool of players for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Pitso Mosimane has opted to rest a number of senior players, and captain Steven Pienaar, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Siboniso Gaxa, Anele Ngcongca, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Tsepo Masilela and Siyabonga Sangweni were not included in the travelling party to Zimbabwe.

In the absence of the veterans, Mosimane is expected to give the Turkey-based striker Bradley Grobler, Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Lebese and Ajax Cape Town's Granwald Scott their first caps. Also in line for a rare start is Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands, who has earned just one Bafana cap thus far.

Despite dropping captain Method Mwanjali from squad, Zimbabwe coach Norman Mapeza has assembled a strong 20-man squad which includes 14 foreign-based players. The squad for the Harare clash is made up of 11 footballers who are based in South Africa’s PSL, and three from European clubs.

Mwanjali's axing comes after he was blamed for errors which cost Zimbabwe a ticket to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations as they went down 2-1 to minnows Cape Verde Islands last month. Coach Mapeza however recalled midfielder Ramson Zhuwawo and left-back Zhaimu Jambo.

DID YOU KNOW

• Since 1992, South Africa and Zimbabwe have met 11 times, with Bafana claiming six victories, the Warriors winning four times, and one match being drawn.

• Zimbabwe's biggest win over their neighbours was back in 1992 when the Warriors triumphed 4-1.

• On 9 July 2000 when the two sides played at the National Sports Stadium in Zimbabwe, 13 people died in a stampede at the venue after police fired tear-gas at the crowd in a bid to quell disturbances during the World Cup qualifying match.

• The last time the two teams met in a friendly match was back in 2010 when South Africa walloped the Warriors 3-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

• The Zimbabwean squad for the Harare clash is made up of 11 players from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, four of which play for giants Kaizer Chiefs.

Prediction
Editor's Prediction 
Zimbabwe 1-1 South Africa

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15.11. (Tue) 18:00 Algeria - Cameroon

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

ALGERIA Zemmamouche Meftah, Yahia, Medjani, BelhadjYebda, Lacen, Lemmouchia Boudebouz, GhilasSoudani

CAMEROON Kameni Bedimo, Egyong, Angbwa, Nounke Nguemo, Song, Eno Bienvenue, Aboubakar Eto'o

On Saturday a short-handed Algeria side found little difficulty in defeating Tunisia in Blida thanks to an inspired performance by Ryad Boudebouz. Now the Fennecs have headed north to prepare for their match against the visiting Indomitable Lions in Algiers on Tuesday. Vahid Halilhodzic will likely be deprived of the services of his starting goalkeeper, Rais M’Bolhi, who missed out on Sunday’s practice through illness.
On the other hand, the Franco-Bosnian says he is feeling optimistic about the possibility of being able to rely on Karim Matmour and Sofiane Feghouli after the two recovering players completed their individual training sessions without complaints.
While the visitors should be arriving from Marrakech on a high after lifting the LG Cup thanks to a 3-1 win over Sudan and a penalty shoot-out victory over the Atlas Lions in Marrakech, Camfoot has reported that a dispute over bonuses has caused Cameroon’s players to threaten to boycott the Algeria match.
This would hardly be the way to follow up what was a rather encouraging first couple of outings under newly hired Denis Lavange that followed a terribly disappointing 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying campaign.

DID YOU KNOW?

• This will be the first time the Algerians return to the 5th of July Stadium in Algiers since their friendly loss against Gabon in August 2010. The Fennecs took to playing in Blida during the renovation of the facility and some reportedly began to feel that the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium brought them more luck than the one in the capital.

• Algeria's 1-0 win over Tunisia on Saturday was the first time the Fennecs have defeated their eastern neighbours since 1997.

• Out of seven matches played between Algeria and Cameroon, the west Africans have won five, drawn one, and lost one.

• The Greens’ only win over their upcoming opponents was the widest margin of victory in any match between the two teams. On November 28, 1995, the Algerians recorded a 4-0 win over the Cameroonians.

Prediction
Editor's Prediction 
Algeria 1-1 Cameroon

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