Johannesburg: Star striker Lionel Messi and midfielder Andres Iniesta have been named in the 23-man Barcelona squad for a friendly match against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Mandela Centenary Cup.
While young players Carles Alena, Ruiz de Galarreta and Jorge Cuenca have also been included in the Barca squad, injured defenders Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen have been dropped from the touring side.
Talking about the upcoming match, Masandawana head coach Pitso Mosimane said that he is looking forward to come up against one of the best football teams in world.
“The Barca game is for the guys to get experience, to see how far we are, what’s the difference between us and Barca and what’s the difference between the PSL and La Liga,” Sport24 quoted Mosimane as saying.
Barcelona will take on Sundowns at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.
The entire Barcelona squad is as follows:
Ter Stegen‚ Jasper Cillessen‚ Nelson Semedo‚ Gerard Pique‚ Ivan Rakitic‚ Sergio Garcia ‚ Denis Suarez‚ Andres Iniesta‚ Luis Suarez‚ Lionel Messi‚ Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho‚ Paulinho‚ Paco Alcacer‚ Jordi Alba‚ Lucas Digne‚ S Roberto‚ Andre Gomes‚ A Vidal‚ Y Mina‚ Carles Alena ‚ R de Galarreta‚ J Cuenca.
ANI