International friendly preview: Spain to host Saudi Arabia

5 September 2012 11:30

World and European champions Spain host Saudi Arabia in international friendly action on Friday, while Brazil play South Africa.

Spain became the first country to win three successive international tournaments when they defeated Italy 4-0 to defend their European Championship crown in Kiev on July 1.

Prior to that, Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

Their next challenge is to become the first nation since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to retain the FIFA World Cup.

The first real step on the road to what would be a monumental achievement is a qualifier away to Georgia on Tuesday.

Before that, they will tune-up with a friendly against Saudi Arabia in Pontevedra, Galicia.

The Saudis' last outing, an Asian World Cup qualifier, ended in a 4-2 defeat away to Australia in February.

Also on Friday, 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil meet the country entrusted with staging that competition's previous instalment, South Africa, in a friendly.

As hosts of the next World Cup, Brazil are exempt from South America's marathon qualification campaign.

But that does leave Mano Menezes' squad with a dearth of competitive fixtures in which to test themselves.

A Brazil Under-23 squad boasting what is expected to form the basis of their World Cup roster were surprisingly beaten by Mexico in the final of the London 2012 Olympic football competition in August.

And Brazil also struggled at last year's Copa America in Argentina, losing to Paraguay in the quarter-finals.

South Africa however are not expected to trouble Brazil in Sao Paulo - they won a friendly with Gabon 3-0 in their last outing in June, but sit a disappointing third in their own African World Cup qualifying group, behind Ethiopia and the Central African Republic.

In other international friendlies on Thursday, Lebanon host Australia, Sweden take on China and Japan tackle the United Arab Emirates.

Brazil are in action again on Monday, when they host China in Recife.