Modric spearheads Croatia at his last World Cup France favourites to finish top of Group D
CROATIA coach Zlatko Dalic named his World Cup squad yesterday, with the 2018 runners-up led by veteran captain Luka Modric.
Dalic guided the side to the final in Russia four years ago, when they lost to France in a historic achievement for a country of 3.9 million people.
“We are optimists with a reason but have to be realistic,” Dalic said when presenting his 26-man squad.
“We’ll go step by step, we are rather self-confident after the (Uefa) Nations League matches,” added the 56-year-old.
In September, they secured their place in the last four of the Nations League.
“There is no pressure, no big euphoria. The first game will be the most important,” Dalic said.
“Now we think (on how) to pass the group first,” he added.
Croatia play Morocco in their opening Group F match on November 23 before meeting Canada and Belgium.
Modric (37) said recently he would end his international career after the World Cup in Qatar.
Apart from the Real Madrid star, veteran players include defenders Domagoj Vida and Dejan Lovren, both of whom Dalic stressed are in good shape.
Asked to compare the team with the one four years ago Dalic said the then squad “played together for 10 years before being rewarded in Russia”.
“They are potent and capable, but it (Croatia success) will not be possible without older ones.” | AFP
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid/esp) Defenders: Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens/gre), Dejan Lovren (Zenit Saint Petersburg/rus), Borna Barisic (Rangers/sco), Josip Juranovic (Celtic/sco), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig/ger), Borna Sosa (Stuttgart/ Ger), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich/ Ger), Martin Erlic (Sassuolo/ita), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb) Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid/esp), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea/ Eng), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan/ Ita), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta/ita), Nikola Vlasic (Torino/ita), Lovro Majer (Rennes/fra), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt/ger), Luka Sucic (RB Salzburg/aut)
Forwards: Ivan Perisic (Tottenham/ Eng), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim/ Ger), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna/esp), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split)
THE World Cup starts in 10 days’ time, and this week Independent Media continues with the breakdown of each group, and the contenders most likely to progress to the knockout stages.
Today, Smiso Msomi takes a look at Group D
FRANCE
Les Bleus are one of the favourites heading to Qatar as an opportunity to make history beckons.
The French national team will look to join an illustrious list that includes Brazil and Italy, the only two nations to have successfully defended a world cup title.
The defending champions have had a few setbacks approaching the world cup with integral figures like Paul Pogba, Ngolo Kante and Raphael Varane being ruled out of the tournament through injury.
However, that should not fool anyone as France are untouchable
(Ranked 4th)
in terms of squad depth with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud in their ranks. They will be favourites to qualify top of the group.
AUSTRALIA (38th)
The Socceroos took the hardest route to the next edition of the World Cup as they required a play-off match against Peru, which they edged through penalties.
The Australian national team are heading for their sixth participation in the grand spectacle having qualified for the 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions, with national team great Tim Cahill scoring one of the best goals in world cup history.
Coach Graham Arnold’s squad is predominantly made up of homebased talent and will need the expertise of star man Denis Genreau who plies his trade in Ligue 1 for Toulouse.
DENMARK (10th)
The Danes, boosted by the return of Christian Eriksen, will look to build on their run in the last edition of the European Championship.
Denmark drove themselves to Wembley in spite of the obstacles placed in their way after losing Eriksen through a cardiac arrest.
Their run was inexplicably ended by hosts England at the semi-final stage, an indication of the kind of threat they’re bringing to France.
Having already beaten France twice in the last six months in the Uefa Nations League, coach
Kasper Kjulmand will walk into the spectacle in Qatar with a bounce in his steps as he looks to upset the odds once more.
TUNISIA (30th)
The Carthage Eagles are among the few African teams that have kept up their world cup participation as they look to engineer a way past the group stages at the sixth time of asking.
The Tunisia national team coach Jalel Kadri has been very vocal about his and his team’s ambitions to make history and qualify for the knockout stages, and will look to the likes of Youssef Msakni and Wahbi Khazri to help his side achieve that.
The North African nation will, however, require a much improved performance to their last major tournament as they sneaked through the group stages at Afcon 2022, only to be knocked out by Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.