Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek made no surprise choices Tuesday when he announced his final 23-man World Cup squad. With no injuries affecting any of his star names, Kek will count on the players who led the team through its qualification campaign to reach the World Cup for only the second time.
Bochum forward Zlatko Dedic, Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and Robert Koren, who was recently released by English club West Bromwich Albion, are included as expected. The squad also had midfielders Valter Birsa of Auxerre and Abdraz Kirm of Wisla Krakow, as well as Grenoble defender Bostjan Cesar and Cologne forward Milivoje Novakovic.
Slovenia’s debut at the World Cup came in 2002 when the team lost all three of its matches. The alpine country qualified for South Africa by beating Russia on away goals in the qualification playoffs in November.
Slovenia is in Group C along with Algeria, the United States and England.It faces New Zealand in a warmup on Friday, two days before departing for South Africa.
Goalkeepers: Samir Handanovic (Udinese), Jasmin Handanovic (Mantova), Aleksander Seliga (Sparta Rotterdam)
Defenders: Miso Brecko (FC Cologne), Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble), Branko Ilic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Matej Mavric-Rozic (Koblenz), Bojan Jokic (Chievo), Marko Suler (Ghent), Suad Filekovic (NK Maribor), Elvedin Dzinic (NK Maribor)
Midfielders: Andraz Kirm (Wisla Krakow), Robert Koren (Unattached), Valter Birsa (AJ Auxerre), Andrej Komac (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Dalibor Stevanovic (Vitesse Arnhem), Aleksander Radosavljevic (Larissa), Rene Krhin (Inter Milan)
Forwards: Milivoje Novakovic (FC Cologne), Zlatko Dedic (VfL Bochum), Zlatan Ljubijankic (Ghent), Nejc Pecnik (Nacional Funchal), Tim Matavz (Groningen)
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