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DORTMUND, June 18: Switzerland and Togo were in the same boat as they prepared for their World Cup clash on Monday, looking to make an improvement on their first appearances at these finals.
The Africans, disrupted by the pay row among the squad which led to Otto Pfister quitting as coach before returning a few days later, turned a 1-0 lead over Group G rivals South Korea into a 2-1 defeat in Frankfurt on Tuesday.
On the same day, Switzerland ground out an uninspiring 0-0 draw with former world champions France, maintaining their image as a well-organised outfit but without winning too many new fans.
The Swiss are hoping to create more chances than they did against the French.
“I think we will find more space to attack against Togo,” said coach Koebi Kuhn. “We always try to play attacking football but we know ourselves we are not goal machines.
“Our strikers (Alex Frei and Marco Streller) are coming back from a difficult time with injuries and I think the longer the tournament lasts, the better it will be for them.”
Kuhn says Togo will be no pushovers.
“Anyone who thinks Togo will be cannon fodder is completely wrong,” he said.
“I see them as a strong team, who qualified for the World Cup in a strong group, with two very dangerous forwards in Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Kader Coubadja.”
Togo coach Pfister is well versed on Swiss football.
The 68-year-old German is married to a Swiss, lives in Switzerland and has been a player and a coach in that country.
“I know them inside out. If everyone is fit, it should be no surprise how they play,” Pfister said.
“I now have to work out (the tactics) of how to beat them. For Togo, this is the last chance.”
Kuhn said Pfister's Swiss connections could assist the Togolese team but added that he had also done his own homework.
“Of course it's no disadvantage he lives in Switzerland and follows Swiss football but it's the players who have to go out and win the match,” Kuhn said.
“I think we are also well enough informed about Togolese football.”
Kuhn is likely to stick with the same team he used against France, although he could bring in attacking midfielder Daniel Gygax at the expense of the more defence-minded Raphael Wicky.
Pfister will be forced into changes at the back with captain Jean Paul Yaovi Abalo Dosseh suspended after his dismissal against Korea and fellow defender Ludovic Assemoassa out of the tournament after tearing knee ligaments in the same game.
Probable teams:
TOGO (4-4-2): 16-Kossi Agassa; 2-Dare Nibombe, 23-Assimiou Toure, 5-Massamasso Tchangai, 8-Kuami Agboh; 9-Thomas Dossevi, 10-Cherif Toure-Maman, 15-Alaixys Romao, 17-Mohamed Kader Coubadja; 13-Richmond Forson), 4-Emmanuel Adebayor.
Coach: Otto Pfister.
SWITZERLAND (4-4-2): 1-Pascal Zuberbuehler; 3-Ludovic Magnin, 4-Philippe Senderos, 20-Patrick Mueller, 23-Philipp Degen; 8-Raphael Wicky, 6-Johann Vogel, 7-Ricardo Cabanas, 16-Tranquillo Barnetta; 9-Alex Frei, 11-Marco Streller.
Coach: Koebi Kuhn.
Referee: Carlos Amarilla (Paraguay).—Reuters
