Soccer-Slovaks name squad for Euro 2008 qualifiers

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Slovakia's chances of reaching the finals next year were dented after defeats by Ireland in March and Germany in June.

"Our current situation commands us to win, that's why I wanted as many forward players as possible," local agency SITA quoted Kocian as saying.

The Slovaks, fourth in their group, will play Ireland, third in the group, on Sept. 8 in Bratislava, and Wales, fifth, on Sept. 12 in Trnava.

Germany head the group on 19 points followed by the Czech Republic on 14.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Stefan Senecky (FC Nitra), Dusan Kuciak (MSK Zilina)

Defenders: Jan Durica, Peter Petras (Saturn Moscow), Maros Klimpl (FC Midtjylland), Milos Brezinsky (Sparta Prague), Otto Szabo (Slovan Bratislava), Matej Krajcik (Slavia Prague), Marek Cech (FC Porto)

Midfielders: Marek Sapara (Rosenborg BK), Igor Zofcak (Sparta Prague), Marek Hamsik (Naples), Ivan Hodur (Slovan Liberec), Zdeno Strba (MSK Zilina), Branislav Obzera (Artmedia Petrzalka), Vratislav Gresko (Bayer Leverkusen)

Forwards: Filip Holosko (Manisaspor), Robert Vittek, Marek Mintal (both FC Nuremberg), Stanislav Sestak (VfL Bochum).

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]