MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Oh No, It's Argentina!

There is widespread foreboding in Britain that the draw for next year's World Cup in Asia pits the England football team against their old enemy Argentina in their first play-off group in Japan.

Massive media coverage agrees that the draw has put England in the worst and toughest group of all for the first phase of the competition, facing not just Argentina but also Sweden and Nigeria, all competitors with whom England's record is not good. Sports writers call it "The Group of Death".

With headlines like "Oh No, it's Not Argentina", "England face World Cup favourites" and "It will be sheer hell trying to cope with Argentina", the press says England face a showdown with their "worst footballing nightmares, Argentina".... Argentina-England games are chemically designed for combustion".

Match clash with Falklands anniversary

As the match coincides with the 20th anniversary of the final phase of the Falklands War, the press says "the Argentines will prepare themselves for much re-hashing of the Malvinas crisis", and quote Argentina's captain, Roberto Ayala, as saying: "It is a classic match in world football....we always see football against them as some sort of revenge".

The British newspapers point out all the bad news coming from Argentina in the depths of its economic crisis. The Argentine footballers are quoted as saying they feel for the people suffering at home and pointing out how big football is in Argentina. ""We , Argentines, all feel passionately for our football".

The British newspapers, carry many pictures of the Argentine and England players in action, and recall fierce previous clashes including 1966 (the year England won the Cup) when Argentine captain Antonio Rattin was sent off and the England coach described the Argentine team as "animals"; Diego Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal which put England out in 1986; and the 1998 game in which David Beckham was sent off in disgrace off for tripping up Diego Siemone, and Argentina won on penalties.

David Beckham, now England's inspirational captain, says : "Personally I can't wait until June 7th ( the date of the match). It's a great chance to lay the ghost of 1998".....As a footballer you always want to test yourself against the best".

England have not beaten Argentina since 1980, and the current Argentine team is regarded not just as the best in South America but the best in the world, with a vast array o