Swiss wary of Faroe Islands
Switzerland's manager Enzo Trossero has warned his players to guard against complacency ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against the minnows of the Faroe Islands in Toftir.
Lying second in their group behind Russia, the Swiss simply cannot afford to slip up with their closest rivals Slovenia almost guaranteed three points when they take on Luxembourg in Lubljana the same evening.
Trossero, who will be without four of his leading strikers for this game and Wednesday’s vital clash against Slovenia in Basel, said he was looking for a professional performance from his players in the wilds of the North Atlantic.
“The teams which gain the most points from their four games against the supposedly weaker sides, such as Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands, will be those that qualify,” he said. “We are here to win the match. The three points are very important.”
The Swiss manager said his players had recovered from their energy-sapping 10-hour journey and were ready for yet another physical battle, this time on the pitch.
Since conceding five goals to the Swiss back in October, the Faroe Islands’ World Cup campaign has enjoyed something of a renaissance. The islanders took three points off Luxembourg in April and then lost narrowly 0-1 to Russia in Moscow four days later.
Defender Stephan Henchoz, fresh from his cup-winning exploits with Liverpool, echoed his manager when he said it was important not to underestimate the task ahead: “If we want to qualify we have to win against the Faroe Islands.”
“It’s the first of two important games for us, and after that we play at home against Slovenia, one of our biggest rivals,” he continued. “If we can get six points out of the two games, we will finish at least second.
“It’s probably realistic to say that first place has gone to Russia, but you never know in football. Our target must be second place and after that a play-off game, and then everything is possible.”
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