Zahovic back in squad

Midfielder Zlatko Zahovic will play for Slovenia later this month despite his early departure from the World Cup after a dispute with then coach Srecko Katanec, the team's new coach said yesterday.

Bojan Prasnikar invited Zahovic to play in Slovenia's first match since the World Cup finals when they take on Italy in a friendly on August 21.

Zahovic has scored 32 goals in 65 appearances for Slovenia, who are preparing for their European Championship qualifying campaign in Group One against France, Malta, Israel and Cyprus.

"My basic principle is to invite into the national team only players who train and play," Prasnikar told journalists when he announced his 21-man squad for the warm-up match ahead of Slovenia's first Euro Championship qualifier in Ljubljana against Malta on September 7.

Malta's national squad is currently in Germany for a training camp. Malta will play a friendly in Skopje against Macedonia on August 21 in preparation of the Slovenia qualifier.

Last month Prasnikar replaced Katanec, who quit after the country's first-round exit at the World Cup.

The Slovenian FA earlier this week fined Zahovic 15,000 euros ($14,530) for his outburst with Katanec at the World Cup.

Goalkeepers: Dabanovic (Lokeren), Simeunovic (O. Nicosia).

Defenders: Bulajic (FSV Mainz), Cipot (Maribor), Knavs (Kaiserslautern), Sankovic (Akratitos), Vugdalic (Maribor).

Midfielders: Acimovic (Tottenham), Ceh (Bruges), Filekovic (Maribor), Gajser (O. Nicosia), Karic (Hibernian), Lunder (Koper), Pavlin (Porto), Radosavljevic (Shinnik Jaroslavi), Sukalo (Unterhaching), Zahovic (Benfica), Zlogar (Ljubljana).

Forwards: Cimirotic (Lecce), Rakovic (Maribor), Siljak (Panionios).