Swiss bliss over as focus now on Chile, says Nkufo

Switzerland are well over their stunning win over Spain as they prepare for their Group H game against Chile today.

PORT ELIZABETH // Chile and Switzerland each opened with 1-0 victories, and they meet today knowing that a win for either would be as good as a ticket to the round of 16. Switzerland's surprising victory over Spain - their first in 18 attempts - and Chile's triumph over Honduras by the same score threw Group H wide open and left Spain, one of the title favourites, with a tougher road to the last 16.

"Nobody expected that we would beat Spain, but we did it and we have to forget this win," Blaise Nkufo, the Swiss striker, said yesterday. "We don't want to talk about it anymore, just focus on the next game, next opponent." Jean Beausejour, the midfielder who scored Chile's goal, said his side would have to change their focus against Switzerland for the game at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. "Honduras gave us the responsibility of trying to win the game, we were the ones looking to get a result," Beausejour said.

"Against Switzerland, that's going to change a bit. They've got a potent counter-attack and it's going to be a very even game." There is no question about Switzerland's ability to defend - they have now gone 490 minutes across this World Cup and the 2006 one without conceding a goal. They were knocked out of the last tournament on penalties by Ukraine in the round of 16. Switzerland's attempt to keep that scoreless streak alive will be harmed by the loss of Philippe Senderos, the defender, who sprained his right ankle against Spain and will also miss Switzerland's last group match against Honduras.

Meanwhile, concerns over the state of the field at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium forced revised training sessions and arrival times for the teams. Fifa officials said that the field, waterlogged from three days of rain earlier this week, held up well after Serbia's 1-0 victory over Germany on Friday. But they did not want Chile and Switzerland to train at the stadium yesterday. Nicolas Maingot, the Fifa spokesman, said the decision was "a preventive measure to protect the pitch" before the game.

Switzerland were to train at a university ground in Port Elizabeth. They had initially said they would hold a session at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Chile planned to train at their Nelspruit base before flying to Port Elizabeth, less than 24 hours ahead of this afternoon's match. The team management hope to have Humberto Suazo, the leading scorer in South American qualifying, back from a left thigh injury for the match.

* AP