Sir Alex: England should qualify

Sir Alex: England should qualify

Sir Alex Ferguson says England surely must qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the Reds boss is also backing his home country Scotland to make the finals.

England, drawn in Group 6, kick-off their World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra on Saturday - Fabio Capello's first competitive game in charge. They then face Croatia next Wednesday in Zagreb.

Two away ties represent a tough start to their qualifying campaign, but Sir Alex thinks England have the quality to reach the finals. He told the latest issue of Inside United: "Surely England will qualify this time, especially with the players they've got."

Sir Alex is equally confident of Scotland's hopes. The Reds boss believes can emerge from a tricky Group 9 draw. "Scotland have got a chance," he added. "They've been paired with Norway and Holland, but I really think they can get out of their group."

The United manager believes it will be tougher for Wales and Northern Ireland, however. The Welsh face two top European opponents in Group 4, while the Irish are stuck with the Czech Republic and Poland in Group 3.

"I'm not sure about how they'll get on," he added. "They've got slightly tougher groups - Wales have Germany and Russia. So it'll be tough for those two. But Scotland have got a chance and England should do better."