Kahn: I’m in top condition

GERMANY captain Oliver Kahn declared himself as fit and hungry as ever and predicted Germany would bounce back at the World Cup.

“I am convinced that our team will play a great tournament,” said the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, who was a reserve in the 1994 and 1998 finals but did not play.

The 32-year-old, who has emerged as his side’s natural leader, said the troubled heavyweights would not waste a chance to make up for the Euro 2000 disaster when Germany disappeared after the first round in their worst performance at a major event.

“We want to forget about what happened in 2000,” he said. “There are also several players in this team who will never play a World Cup again and they are all determined to make the most of it.”

Kahn, whose Bayern side failed to win a title this season for the first time since 1995, said he was in great shape. “The pressure in the last 14 days of the season was far lower than last year, when we won the German title and the Champions League,” he said.

“Losing in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this time meant we had a less crowded schedule. Thanks to that I am absolutely fit. Rarely have I felt as great as I do here.”

The triple world champions, who are missing several valued players through injuries including Jens Nowotny and Sebastian Deisler, have lost their status among the automatic favourites for the Korea/Japan finals. Their first game is against Saudi Arabia in Sapporo on Saturday.

After losing 5-1 at home to England in qualifying last September, Germany were forced to go through the play-offs to claim their place in the 32-team finals.

But the Germans, who will also play Ireland and Cameroon in group E, are free of the internal squabbling that marred their run at Euro 2000.

“There is a feeling of harmony in the team,” Kahn said. “We’re focused and relaxed at the same time, which is just the balance you need.

“The team spirit is high and that’s vital. If we work closely together, we can go a long way.”

Germany have started preparing for their first World Cup match against Saudi Arabia, admitting they did not even know what the individual opposition players looked like but promising they would not take them lightly.

“From now on we’re training specifically for the game,” said assistant Germany coach Michael Skibbe, looking forward to his side’s opening group E game on Saturday in Sapporo. “They have good players but it’s true that our players don’t know what they look like, which means we can’t really single any of them out.”

Erich Rutemoeller, the spy in Germany’s coaching staff, was a bit more precise after watching the Sons of the Desert beat Senegal 3-2 in a friendly earlier this month.

“They have a tight defence but also some quality men in midfield and they are dangerous moving forward,” he said. “I think many people under-estimate them. I didn’t see any real weakness.”

The man to watch, Rutemoeller said, would be veteran Sami al-Jaber. “He plays just behind their lone striker, Al Hassan al-Yami, and he’s got playmaking skills as well as being a useful scorer.”

Pressed to say how Germany, who will also face Ireland and Cameroon in group E, could trouble their first opponents, Rutemoeller hinted high balls might be an option. “They do have a couple of tall players who can head the ball but that’s not what they do best,” he said.