(Adds quotes)
By Mike Collett
LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) – Hosts Britain, taking part in
their first Olympic soccer event since 1960, will kick off the
bid for gold against Senegal at Manchester United’s Old Trafford
on July 26 after the draw was made at Wembley on Tuesday.
Senegal reached their first Olympics after beating Oman 2-0
in a playoff at the City of Coventry Stadium on Monday.
“It is such an honour to play against Britain in the opening
match at Old Trafford,” Augustin Senghor, the president of the
Senegalese FA, told Reuters.
“I know we were the last to arrive in these finals after the
playoff last night, but I hope that we will not be the first to
leave. We will also field our strongest team and see if our
players at Newcastle like Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse can be
involved.”
Britain will also meet Uruguay and United Arab Emirates in
Group A.
Brazil, five-times World Cup winners but never Olympic
champions, face Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand in Group C.
Spain, gold medallists in 1992 and the world and European
champions, take on Japan, Honduras and Morocco in Group D while
seeded Mexico meet South Korea, Gabon and Switzerland in Group
B.
Continued…
