Brazilian strikers Gil and Luis Fabiano will both make their international debuts in Wednesday’s match away to Nigeria, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Tuesday.Sao Paulo striker Luis Fabiano, leading scorer in the Brazilian championship with 11 goals, and Corinthians striker Gil were included in the team named by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after the team’s only training session in Abuja on Tuesday, the CBF said on its website. Important results SAITAMA: Japan were held to a goalless draw by Paraguay in the Kirin Cup on Wednesday as they continued to struggle before the Confederations Cup later this month. Japan have won just once in the seven games under new coach Zico, who had warned his squad they must beat Paraguay. Striker Yoshito Okubo did head past goalkeeper Ricardo Tavarelli in the 76th minute at Saitama Stadium but was ruled to have been offside. Saviola strikes for Argentina SEOUL: Javier Saviola struck just before halftime to give Argentina a 1-0 victory over South Korea in a hard-fought friendly international on Wednesday. South Korea, semi-finalists in the World Cup they co-hosted last year, failed again to capitalise on periods of pressure despite enjoying most of the possession in the first half. Defender Lucio, midfielder Kleberson and striker Ronaldinho are the only survivors from last year’s World Cup final against Germany in the team.The Nigeria match is part of Brazil’s preparations for the Confederations Cup, played in France later this month.“The match is very important to us. (Coach Carlos Alberto) Parreira wants to play an African team before the Confederations Cup,” CBF spokesman Rodrigo Paiva said in Abuja.Brazil meet African champions Cameroon, their World Cup semi-final victims Turkey and the United States in Group B of the June 18-29 Confederations Cup in France.Parreira’s squad arrived in Abuja on Monday with only a handful of the players who helped them to their fifth World Cup crown last year.“The coach wants to see players who can replace Cafu, Ronaldo and other older players in the (2006) World Cup and this is an opportunity for these players to show that they are capable,” Paiva said.“We have followed the Nigerian team for many years,” Parreira told a news conference after training. “We respect the whole Nigerian team, not the individual players in Europe,” Parriera said.“We want to beat Nigeria because we want to beat one of the best teams in the world.“This is the Brazilian national team. This is the same team that will play the Confederations Cup and the World Cup qualifier in September.”Wednesday’s match, the first between Brazil and Nigeria at senior level, has generated tremendous interest in the soccer-mad West African nation.Nigeria upset the Brazilian under-23 team 4-3 in the 1996 Olympic semi-finals and the current senior team were confident of notching up the first victory by an African country against Brazil.Austria-based striker Benedict Akwuegbu said: “This match means a lot to us, because if we win the game we will be highly rated.”Brazil team: Dida, Belletti, Juan, Lucio, Kleber, Emerson, Kleberson, Ricardinho, Ronaldinho, Gil, Luis Fabiano.
