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Scolari announces foreign-based players for South Africa friendly

Dare to be Brasilian - Neymar

Dare to be Brasilian - Neymar

Brazilian national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has announced 16 foreign-based players for Brazil’s friendly match against South Africa on March 5.

The 16 players will be joined by seven Brazi-based players who will be named by the end of the month. The Brazilian team will face the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts at the First National Bank Stadium at Soccer City, Johannesburg.

The list of foreign-based players include Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Bayern Munich’s Rafinha. Fernandinho played his last match for the Brazilian team in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina almost two years ago.

Bayern’s Rafinha has been rewarded for his excellent performances in the last couple of months. The 28 year old right back earned one senior international cap for the Seleção, when he played in an international friendly match against Sweden in March 2008.

Scolari has decided to take on South Africa without Kaká and Robinho. The away match will be Brazil’s last match before the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad announcement.

The list of 16 is built out of seven EPL players, three Bundesliga players, three La Liga players and one player from the French Ligue 1, the Ukrainian Premier League and the Russian Football Premier League.

BRAZIL SQUAD – FOREIGN-BASED PLAYERS

Goalkeeper
Julio Cesar (Queens Park Rangers FC)

Defenders
David Luiz (Chelsea FC), Dante (FC Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Dani Alves (FC Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid CF), Rafinha (FC Bayern Munich)

Midfielders
Luiz Gustavo (VfL Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Fernandinho (Manchester City FC), Ramires (Chelsea FC), Oscar (Chelsea FC)

Forwards
Hulk (FC Zenit Saint Petersburg), Bernard (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Willian (Chelsea FC), Neymar (FC Barcelona)