Zanetti backs Argentina for Cup win

The Inter Milan player left Rome for Tokyo with the rest of the squad on Thursday, with the South Americans being hailed as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Zanetti declared: "It's a big challenge, but Argentina can win the World Cup. That would be a great happiness for us and for our people.

"The group is very close, and we worked humbly and concentrated these last few days."

Coach Marco Bielsa has chosen to omit Barcelona forward Javier Saviola and take Rangers striker Claudio Caniggia to the summer showpiece event, something that the 35-year-old is very happy about it.

The former Boca Juniors player has thanked his coach for having faith in his abilities, despite his recent knee injury and Saviola's good form for the Catalan club.

Caniggia enthused: "Marcelo Bielsa has been very brave in calling me for the national team because it's not easy to call a player of my age and someone who is playing in Scotland, a football league that not many people have the chance to see very often.

"I never stopped thinking about the national team because it's like that girlfriend that you never forget about.

"The injury I got on my left knee in the match against Celtic was as if someone was opening the door to my retirement but I can only see football in one way and that is to fight until the end and not to be scared.

"I was only afraid about what I had done to my knee I wanted to know immediately how bad the injury because at my age a broken bone is very difficult to recover from.

"But thank God it wasn't so bad and I hope to be fine for the beginning of the World Cup."