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AUSTRALIA

With Australia's 2006 World Cup linchpin Mark Viduka in virtual retirement and lingering question marks over the Socceroos' firepower, Tim Cahill has found encouraging form ahead of South Africa with three goals from his last two starts for Everton in the Premier League.

Cahill, who became the first Australian to score a brace of goals at a World Cup during his match-winning performance against Japan in 2006, scored two during the Toffees' 2-2 draw against Aston Villa last Wednesday, then tapped in the third in Everton's 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

Former Leeds and Liverpool winger Harry Kewell is expected to return to action with Turkish side Galatasaray next week after being sidelined with a groin injury, but a back injury to Palermo playmaker Mark Bresciano could keep him out of the Serie A for another few weeks.

GERMANY

The debate over the recall of striker Kevin Kuranyi to the national squad shows no signs of abating after Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff said any player in top form would be welcome.

"We are thankful for any player who is in top form at this time," Bierhoff said. "I think we would not lose face if we re-thought certain things, in this case Kuranyi's past misconduct."

Kuranyi, who has won 52 caps and scored 19 goals, has not played for Germany since walking out of the team prior to a World Cup qualifier in Oct. 2008 for being dropped from the squad. Coach Joachim Low said he would never recall him.

But the Brazil-born 28-year-old has set a personal goal record for a season, hitting 18 goals so far with three matches left, more than all of Low's first-choice Germany strikers (Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez) combined.

Kuranyi has also again admitted to making a mistake then, saying his Germany future was now firmly in the hands of Low.

GHANA

Teenage defender David Addy has made his debut for FC Porto, enhancing his chances of making Ghana's World Cup squad.

The 20-year-old fullback has already been capped at f

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